


Detours

by Inthemadhouse



Category: Descendants (2015)
Genre: AU, Child Abuse, Darker Than Disney, F/F, M/M, Nature Versus Nurture, Slow Burn
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-01-16
Updated: 2018-01-30
Packaged: 2018-05-14 05:40:43
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 22
Words: 237,985
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5731480
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Inthemadhouse/pseuds/Inthemadhouse
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Instead of leaving the children of the Villains to rot on the Island, King Adam decides to do a sweep, taking them to live in Auradon instead.  Jay and Evie are caught up and raised as good, productive citizens.  Carlos and Mal?  Let's just say they were overlooked.  16 years later he tries to rectify that mistake by catching and bringing them over, which doesn't go well. They're anxious, aggressive, and in no mood to play nice.  In a last ditch effort, he tries assigning them partners to help them get used to the idea of being good.  Or in Carlos' case, get him out from under the bed.  As far as Mal is concerned?   Oh, my, how Auradon will burn.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Heavy Lies the Crown

**Author's Note:**

> So this work was inspired by a tumbler prompt by Kayla-bird, found here; http://kayla-bird.tumblr.com/post/127013368169/so-i-thought-of-the-best-descendants-au-and-by 
> 
> Another author on this site has used the same prompt: Will You Teach Me to Fly by Comebackbehere. Go check it out (Seriously, it was amazing and I'll wait). Kudos to them for getting me off my butt and working seriously on this fic. This is the prologue and is quite short. The rest of the chapters will be much longer. I hope you enjoy this one, because I'm having a lot of fun writing it. If someone would like to beta for me, please drop me a PM or leave me a comment.

A good leader needs to have a compass in his head and a bar of steel in his heart  
Robert Townsend

"Da!" It was a quick sound, pouring from tiny lips. To the baby in the crib, it was no different then the hundreds of other babbles except for one thing: the reaction it invoked from his father. King Adam swung his tiny son into the air, making the baby giggle with joy.

"That's right! Da! I'm Da!" He snuggled the baby close, enjoying the sweet smell as chubby arms wound around his neck. Ben was by far the best thing that he and Belle had ever done and he would gladly lay his life down for the baby in his arms.

But lately, he had been feeling stirrings of unease when he looked at his little son. His baby, as well as those of his friends, were cherished above all else in the world. But that wasn't always the case.

Banishing the villains to the Island had seemed like a good idea at the time. Get them out of Auradon and ensure that the only people they could hurt was each other. And without magic, even that ability was sorely tempered.

He hadn't thought it through. Hadn't thought that, evil as they were, they had the same needs and desires as everyone else, sex being one of them. And sex made babies. Babies who were as innocent as his Ben. Babies whom no one was rocking, cuddling, and singing songs to. Babies who might not even be getting fed regularly, much less loved and educated.

It wasn't like he could let the villains off the Island but he could give the children a second chance. It had to be done carefully, it had to be done quickly, and most importantly, it had to be done in utter secrecy. If the villains got wind of his plan, they would undoubtedly fight for their kids. Not because they loved them, but because they saw them as extensions of themselves, nothing but property that they had created and thus had all rights to.

It took a further 3 months to put the plan in place. Foster homes for the babies and toddlers were quietly located. The fact of their pasts would not be hidden, but they would also be sure to let the kids know that the could rise above it and do better then their parents had. A task force of fairies and other magical creatures was set up to get the children and bring them to Auradon.

They would only get one chance at this. The barrier would have to be dropped for the children, and they couldn't risk any of the other residents of the Island escaping. They also couldn't risk anyone attempting to hide, or worse, kill their child to prevent it from being taken.

There were still so many things that could go wrong with this plan, but the children were worth the risk. The assembled task force stood waiting for the last thing that was needed to start everything off: the King's signature.

Adam looked over at Ben, standing up in his playpen. The past 3 months had been kind to him. He was taller, heavier. The single word had blossomed into a dozen and he was beginning to walk instead of crawl. He has all the opportunities in the world and Adam was bound and determined that all of the children should have the same.

With trembling fingers, he signed the decree.


	2. Different Lives

Children are like wet cement. Whatever falls on them makes an impression  
Dr. Haim Ginott

They came in the middle of the night. It should have been quiet, but things were never quiet on the Isle of the Lost. You just got used to the constant screams, and fighting, and sounds of metal grating on metal. It was as shithole, but it was theirs. Sure there wasn't enough food, or clothing, or much of anything else, but you could survive if you knew what you were doing. Plus, there was the added bonus of answering only to themselves. They lived as they pleased, worked as they pleased, and raised their spawn as they pleased.

Until the day that they didn't. Their babies were stolen right out from under their noses, sometimes ripped right from their arms and spirited away. To where, though? Obviously the kidnappers were from Auradon, but what did they want with the children? For years, rumors would fly. The residents of Auradon feared the power their children might one day have, so they dropped them into the ocean. They used them in experiments. They sold them to rich couples who hadn't been able to have kids of their own. No one knew for sure, but every possibility was more terrifying then the last.

Jafar didn't fight back when they took Jay. Why should he? The kid was completely useless. When his wife first announced their pregnancy, Jafar had hoped for a strong son that he could train up in the family business. What better job for those tiny hands then pick pocketing? Who knew, when he was older he might even outdo Jafar himself in stealing, which meant the man could retire into the easy life of taking care of his store and hoping for that one lamp that would change everything. But then Malea died bringing the little brat into the world, and those dreams vanished. The kid was a burden, needing to be fed constantly and drastically cutting down on Jafar's stealing time. Plus, he looked far too much like his mother. So when the fairies grabbed his son out of the crib, he shrugged and didn't bother to even wave goodbye. In a few years, he could try again with another woman, one who wouldn't leave him with a whelp to raise alone.

The Evil Queen did her best to hang on to her tiny, blue-haired daughter. Her Genevieve, the second chance for both of them. She was old and used up, how would a prince look twice at her? But her daughter would draw the boys, she was sure of it. She would teach her to be beautiful and ladylike, a perfect princess. She had saved and stolen to get her a pretty dress, and nourishing food. Genevieve represented a second chance for her own self, yes, but she loved her baby. The child screamed as she was caught between the fairies and her mothers desperate grasp, until the Evil Queen was forced to let her go. She raced to the window as the little girl was carried away. "Please! I call her Evie!" There was no answer. There would never be an answer.

All over the Island, these scenes played out. Some parents, like Jafar, didn't care, some were devastated and most were somewhere in between. They would miss their children, in their own way, but it was a relief as well. No extra mouths to feed, no worries about how to clothe them, no kids barging in at the wrong moments. Just an eerie silence that settled over the Island as the barrier once again slammed shut.

But there were two notable exceptions. Maleficent got word of the raid through her familiar, which gave her just enough time to get Mal hidden. She had plans for this girl, and sending her off to that wrenched place wasn't part of them. The hole in the barrier allowed just enough magic through that she was able to summon her book and cast a glamour over Mal, disguising her as nothing more then another book on a desk. The fairies flew through and away, never giving the book a second glance. Maleficent smiled to herself. One day, everyone would cower before them. Today the princes and princesses of Auradon had won, but that was alright. She knew how to play the long game, and her daughter would be nearly as powerful as her one day. She could wait.

The other exception was Cruella deVil. She, too, managed to hang on to her small son. Not through any clever planning on her part, though. Years of life on the Isle had driven her over the edge of insanity. Oh, she remembered she had a son, at least most days, but she had trouble with the other little things that went along with motherhood. Things like remembering to feed him, or toss a bottle of water at him so he could drink. Sometimes it would be a day or two before she thought to pick him up and move him from one place to another. Occasionally she lost him entirely, finding him in a cupboard or under a piece of furniture without remembering exactly how he had gotten there.

Needless to say, it was quite a surprise the next day when she picked up a pile of furs and found a baby underneath. It looked at her with sunken eyes and whined a little, but didn't cry. Maybe it lacked the strength. When had she last offered him anything to drink? Cruella looked at the kid in silence, barely remembering that he was hers, and his name was Carlos. For a few minutes, she considered trying to chase after the fairies and begging them to take this one, too. God knew she didn't want him.

But then again...now she had something that no one else did. She had a baby and all of theirs were gone. Cruella might have been insane, but she wasn't a foolish woman. There was power in having something that no one else did, especially something as valuable as a child. Little Carlos might prove useful in the future. If he lived that long. He was nothing but bones and sad eyes right now. 

She reached towards him and he whined again, the sound pitiful. Cruella found that she rather liked it. Not only did it make her feel strong, but his whimpers sounded a lot like those of a newborn puppy. That's right, a cute little puppy....

1 Year Out

"Oh, Adam, look how pretty she is! Evie, look here!" Belle held out her camera, encouraging the little girl to spin and preen. Her dark blue hair just brushed her shoulders, and the puffy dress she wore made her look like a dream. "Smile for the camera!"

Adam smiled as he watched the little girl play. "She's gorgeous. But she's brilliant, too, aren't you my girl? She knows all of her letters and most of her numbers. You're giving your brother a run for his money!"

Originally, taking Evie had been a political move and nothing more. See, there was nothing to fear from these children. After all, their own king had taken one of them into his home, to be raised alongside the little prince. The new princess would be every bit as good and delightful as his own son. 

So he asked the fairies to find a little girl and bring her to him. They had brought Genevieve, claiming that her mother was one of the few that tried to keep her, and that she had called her daughters nickname after them, hoping that they could still hear her. 

King Adam didn't know if he believed that story. The villains were on the Island because they were dangerous and evil. Why would they treat helpless infants better then they had treated anyone else? But the little girl had been healthy and adorable, so he kept her. 

He had expected to develop somewhat of an attachment to her, because how could you not attach to a baby? But he hadn't expected to fall for her the same way he had fallen for Ben. The children were being raised as twins, and if it wasn't for her unusual hair color, he wouldn't have even remembered that they weren't. The babies ate together, slept in the same crib, and took joy in learning and playing together. When his people saw Evie at political events, clapping her pudgy hands and waving at her subjects, they couldn't help but accept her. And if they accepted her, they had to accept the other kids as well. Maybe these kids hadn't had the best start, but they would make up for that now.  
****

"No!" Jay stomped his foot on the ground and glared at Jasmine. "Me do!"

She bit back a laugh. Her Jay had hit the terrible twos early and insisted on doing everything himself. "Ok, baby, you do." 

"Yay!" He pulled his coat on with only a little trouble, threading his arms expertly through the sleeves. The zipper was harder, and he couldn't get it lined up, no matter how hard he tried. Jasmine waited patiently. She had been through this once, with Aziz, and she knew what was coming.

"Mommy? You do?" He held out his arms to her. "You do."

She zipped him up, scooping the toddler into her arms and snuggling him close while she showered him with kisses. He returned them eagerly, giggling the entire time. "Love Mommy!"

"Love you, too. No go get your brother." She opened the door and sent him out to the yard, where he could hopefully run some of that energy off. When she had agreed to take one of the Island children, she had secretly hoped for a quiet little bookworm who loved to snuggle.

Instead she got Jay. Wild, impulsive and never still for more then a few minutes. He loved passionately and was happiest when he was creating chaos. In other words, he was just like Aziz at that age. It surprised her how alike the boys really were. She had been convinced that they would have to learn an entirely new set of skills to parent Jay, but that hadn't proven to be the case. Thankfully, they had gotten him off that Island before he had sustained any permanent harm.

*****

"Jafar! For Evil's sake do something about that crying! How can I plot when all I hear is screaming!" Maleficent waved her hand at her daughter, as if that would do something to silence her. In response, Mal narrowed her eyes and screamed louder, the tiniest flare of green glowing in their depths.

Jafar made a face at Maleficent's back, but he went to the crib and attempted to pat the little girl's back. "Hey now. Quiet."

She snapped at his hand, barely missing the fingers. Little bitch. He would never dare strike the child in front of her mother (Maleficent had no problem smacking Mal herself, but Evil forbid someone else attempt to discipline the little monster.) "Come on, let's go in the other room."

Really, he had no idea why Maleficent thought he would want to play Daddy to her child. He hadn't wanted his own, and had been clueless with him anyway, so why would he want to help raise someone else's? But you did not say no to Maleficent, so he was stuck with the kid. 

He couldn't even take her outside, because someone would notice and wonder why she hadn't been taken with the others. The Isle was crawling with people who wouldn't hesitate to rat them out for the right fee (or sometimes for no fee at all) and there was always the chance that those idiot do-gooders from Auradon would make another sweep to see if they had left any children behind. There was a rumor that there was at least one more kid who had been missed, whoever's child it was was keeping them hidden as well. Jafar wished he knew who it was, if for no other reason then Maleficent might rather dump parenting duties on them for a while, and leave Jafar alone.

He set Mal down on the rug with a scrap of paper and some worn down crayons he had scavenged for the shop. "Here. Color for a little bit."

Coloring was one of the few things that seemed to make the little girl happy and shut her up for more then 10 minutes at a time. Jafar hoped that whatever plan Maleficent had for this girl came to fruition before the kid became a teenager. Because he did not plan to be around when that shit went down.

*****

Why was she doing this? The Evil Queen walked up the steps of Hell House before letting herself in. A lady knocked, but most ladies didn't have to deal with insane homeowners who were probably too busy fluffing their furs to hear a guest at the door. 

"Cruella?" Her voice echoed in the silent halls. "Where are you today?"

"Living room, Darling! Come and watch some TV." 

Oh good, it was going to be a day where they could have a normal conversation. She wouldn't call Cruella a friend, though a part of her did have some pity for the woman. She was obviously unstable and should have been given help in Auradon, rather then sentenced to this Island with nothing.

But Cruella had something now, something that the Evil Queen desperately wanted. She had a baby, and the power that baby gave her put the Evil Queen at her mercy. "Hello, Cruella." They did a quick air kiss before the Evil Queen scanned the room quickly. "Where's Carlos?" At Cruella's blank look she sighed and clarified. "The baby? The one we're raising together?"

"Oh, the puppy! He's in his box, of course. You can't leave them loose, Darling, they get into all kinds of trouble."

The Evil Queen doubted that Carlos had ever been in trouble in his life. He wasn't walking at all, and barely crawled. Mostly he just sat where you put him, too scared to move. 

There was a cardboard box in the kitchen, and a child asleep in the box. The Evil Queen picked him up, feeling that his little body was colder then it should have been. "Cruella, we've been over this! You have to give the puppy a blanket! He doesn't have enough fur to stay warm."

Again she wondered why she had agreed to this. Carlos wasn't her Evie. It wasn't just that he was a boy. He had had huge dark eyes with thick lashes, and curls that any woman would die for. He was certainly pretty enough, and she had heard that there were plenty of Princes who preferred a very pretty boy instead of a girl.

No, the problems with Carlos were far more then simple gender. When she had picked Evie up, the little girl cuddled into her and went limp. Carlos stiffened instead, his fingers curling into claws and his body rigid. He didn't speak at all, even simple words, and she had never so much as heard him laugh. He didn't cry, either. She didn't know if there was something wrong with his throat, or he had just given up, since Cruella couldn't be bothered to come.

If she showed him a toy, he would take and study it, but not actually play with it. A ball might be looked at, or turned over in his hands, but he had never once rolled it back to her. It wasn't surprising that he didn't seek out Cruella's attention, but the Evil Queen thought that, after a year of near daily visits, he should at least be pleased to see her. If he was, he gave no indication.

So why did she keep coming back? She was spending her days with a crazy woman and a child who she was starting to suspect was extremely subnormal. She didn't love him the way she had loved Evie.

But there was some love there. Without her, she knew that Carlos would end up freezing, or starving, or dying of dehydration before Cruella remembered to care for him. So she came back every day, making sure that he at least had enough to stay alive. If she could just last a few years, then he would be able to take care of himself.

5 Years Out

"And then, I'm going to go to school and I'm going to be popular and I'm going to make clothes and everyone will say 'oh Evie, you're so good at that, make clothes for me' and then I'm going to go to college and be the smartest person in the world. Better then you, so there!" Evie shoved her brother, careful not to muss her dress. She had suddenly become quite aware of matching and accessorizing, and this outfit had been planned for days.

Ben smirked. "Yeah? Well I'm going to be king, and I'll just have your head cut off."

"Ben!" Adam and Belle spoke simultaneously. "That's a terrible thing to say to your sister. Apologize at once."

He peeked over at her. "Sorry, Evie. I love you."

She raced over for a hug. "Love you too! I'll take good care of you today."

It was the first day at of school, and King Adam would be lying if he said he wasn't nervous. Not that his children wouldn't be able to keep up, since they were both brilliant (and adorable. And kind. And loving. And pretty much perfect, if you were to ask him), but for an entirely different reason. This would be the first year of school for all of the children that he had taken from the Island five years ago. This was the first time they would all be together since that night. Would they somehow know each other? Would being together awake something in them that he had tried to keep down? Would the be accepted by the parents of the normal students in Auradon? Asked to birthday parties? Have friends?

As far as he could tell, the experiment has been a complete success. The children, while not perfect, were no different from their peers. They were, for the most part, smart and social. None of them set fires of killed puppies. They were bonded with their adoptive parents and seemed to have settled in quite well.

"I wish Evie and I were in the same class." Ben had swung a complete 180 from just minutes before. "How come we aren't?"

"They never put twins in the same class, dear. They want you to make different friends." Belle smoothed his jacket and fussed with his hair.

"But we're not real twins. She's docked. So we should be allowed to be in the same class."

"Adopted, not docked. And you've been twins since you were six months old. Not sharing blood doesn't change that."

Though they had been honest, and used the word 'adopted' from the beginning, the kids were only just beginning to understand that Evie had another set of parents out there, and that she hadn't always been part of the royal family. They still felt like brother and sister, but there had been a lot of questions lately.

The school was chaos, as parents dropped off children, tried to find classrooms and caught up after the long summer. Some of the youngest kids were crying already, and Evie grabbed Ben by the hand. "It's ok, we'll stick together."

After five years, it was harder to pick out the children from the Island, but King Adam recognized at least a few. They smiled timidly at each other, but showed no signs that they remembered that they had once lived in Hell on Earth together. His shoulders relaxed a bit. This was going well.

*****

"Mom! Mom, look at me! Mom! Mom, you aren't watching! Mom, you're going to miss it!" Jay was prattling at a thousand miles an hour, already attempting to climb one of the brick walls surrounding the school "I'm going to jump off and it's going to be awesome!"

More like a bloody mess. Jay was constantly covered in scrapes and bruises from his various misadventures. As soon as she got him dropped off at his classroom, she was signing him up for kids Tourney. And Gymnastics. And Wrestling. And anything else that could help him get some of his energy out. Had Aziz been this wild at 5, or was she jus getting old? "No you aren't!! Get down from there, and behave yourself."

"Ok." He jumped down and grabbed her hand. "Is it time yet? Let's get this party started!" 

"Do you remember what you're going to do today?" They had gone over this at home.

"I'm going to be a gentleman. No yelling, no fighting and don't take anything that isn't mine." He smiled winningly at her.

"You're going to have so much fun, here, Jay. Look, you have the same teacher your brother did! He loved her so much." She didn't know why she kept trying to make school sound fun to Jay. He was already beyond excited for a chance to hang out with kids his own age. "Oh, look at that little girl! She's in your class and she looks like she could use a friend."

Jay was a natural caretaker, so he immediately dropped her hand and sauntered over to he little blue haired girl, holding out a hand. She curtsied to him and took it, allowing him to lead her into the classroom.

"You've raised a lovely young man." The voice was unexpectedly close and Jasmine startled a bit. She turned to look at King Adam. "How are things going with him."

"Things are going well. Jay is a delight and the perfect addition to our family. How is Lady Evie doing?"

"She's perfect. This was the right thing to do." He sounded completely confident.

Jasmine wasn't so sure. She loved Jay, and she would gladly fight to the death if anyone tried to take him but....what about his other family? She knew he was the son of Jafar, but did the man care that his child was gone? What about his mother? Was there some woman crying herself to sleep at night because they had stolen her child?

Because they had. King Adam could claim it was for the greater good all he wanted, but the fact remained that they had gone where they had no right to be and torn babies from their mother's arms. It just didn't feel like something good people should do. Honestly....it felt downright evil.

But what was done was done, and there wasn't anything they could do to change it. So she sidestepped the comment. "Has there been any news from the Island? What about the babies born since the raid?"

He shook his head. "I'm sure there have been many, but they aren't taking any chances. They're keeping the children hidden."

That was what she had been afraid of. How many babies were completely out of sight, hidden and abused with no help coming? Had they save their few dozen at the expense of hundreds more? It was a thought that made her shudder.

*****

"A...B....C....D..." Mal recited the letters tunelessly, her eyes darting back and forth. She had to get this correct. "J....K....L....L.....N?"

Maleficent slammed her staff down on the table, close to her daughters hand. "M! M, you idiot. M like Maleficent. M like Mal. Your name has 3 letters in it, why can't you remember the very first one! I should have let them take you like they took all the others."

The litter girl blinked and tears shone in her eyes. Maleficent banged the staff again, even closer. "And stop that sniveling! Evil doesn't cry! Start over and get it right this time or I'll sell you the idiots over in Auradon. And do I have to remind you what they do to little girls over there?"

Mal's eyes got wide and she frantically shook her head. "A...B....C....D.....E...." She stumbled her way through the alphabet, this time making no mistakes. "Right, Mother?"

"Barely acceptable Mal. You are stronger and better then other people, and you should have gotten that the very first time. Now sit down and write the alphabet 100 times. Maybe that will drive it through your skull."

For a second, she actually thought Mal might protest and talk back to her, but the little girl nodded and walked away, her head low. Maleficent scowled at her retreating back. Where was the fire in this girl? The drive that had led her mother to take over an entire kingdom while people cowered at her name? This kid was really going to need to toughen up if she was going to be the one to get them off this wretched Island. "And I want it by lunch or you won't get any!"

"Yes, Mother." The voice was muffled from the other room, but stronger then it had been. Maybe the girl had a little fight in her after all.

"Still glad that you put a spell on the brat instead of giving her up? Because you could have had two replacements for her by this time."

Maleficent snorted. "Really? With who? You? Nonsense."

"Hey, I produced a damn fine son. Strong, healthy. You could do a lot worse."

"And he managed to kill the woman he was coming out of. Oh, yeah, sign me right up for that." Her eyes flashed a dangerous color. "Remember your place, Jafar. You're as easily replaceable as that brat in the other room."

Mal perked her head up at the words. Voices carried easily, and she paused in making a 'Q' to think about what that meant. Her mother didn't want her. Jafar had killed a lady. He had a baby, but it was gone now, just like all the others. They both wanted to make her gone, too. That meant she couldn't count on either one of them, just herself. Ok, fine. She was Mal, and she wouldn't let either one of them hurt her. Ever.

*****

Both Cruella and the Evil Queens watched as Carlos worked his way though the alphabet, each letter meticulously and perfectly formed, both upper and lower. The Evil Queen raised her eyebrows. "Well, that's something. Did you teach him that, Cruella?"

"No. I assumed that you had."

She hadn't. Teaching Carlos to write had been the furthest thing from her mind. She was far more concerned with teaching him to talk. What had been odd at a year and a half was now downright disturbing. At five, she still hadn't heard a single word come out of his mouth, not even something as simple as 'mama' or 'dada'. He didn't mimic her when she spoke, or even when she gestured, though she noticed he did watch her mouth as she formed the words. Cruella claimed he didn't speak to her either, though he seemed to understand everything that they both said. He could follow directions, even complicated ones, and was quite clever with putting things together. 

After five years, the Evil Queens had revised her idea that Carlos was mentally delayed. Actually, she was starting to suspect that he was quite bright. So why didn't he talk? She felt like if she could figure that out, she might understand this odd, changeling child that she had been left with.

Her next comment had to be addressed carefully. "What happened to his eye, Cruella?" It was swollen and black, the bruising running down his cheek, where there was a small cut. The Evil Queen looked over the rings on Cruella's hand, wondering which one matched that injury.

"Oh, he fell off the chair. He's such a little thing." Cruella pressed her fingers into the boys shoulder. "Isn't that right, Carlos?"

He nodded without looking up. 

"And his arm? Did he hurt it falling, too?" She had noticed that Carlos favored his right hand for doing things, but now it was curled protectively to his body while he wrote with his left. 

"He landed on it, darling. But don't worry, it's not broken." Cruella flipped her hands dismissively. "He can still move it a bit."

She didn't believe that story for a second. Carlos was small, and the chair high, but he was such a gentle and careful child. The only way he had fallen was if someone had pushed him. And she knew exactly who would do that.

She had seen far too many bruises, burns, and scrapes on the boy, many of them in places strange for a childhood injury. A fist shaped bruise on his lower back, or a burn on his collarbone. Each one had an explanation that Carlos never denied, but all three of them knew the truth.

But what could she do? He wasn't her child and she had no real rights to him. No one else knew that he existed, so stealing him wasn't an option. Cruella would be able to track him instantly.

And she didn't know how bad it was. As of this year, the boy had become very modest and would no longer let her help bathe him. Cruella always kept long sleeves on him, making it difficult to look for injuries. He always seemed to be able to walk, but there was day when things were going to go too far. "Maybe we should get a chair with arms, so he's less likely to have these accidents."

"Or I could just start feeding him on the floor like I used to. That would keep him from falling." There was a bite to the words that told the Evil Queen she had overstepped their boundaries. 

"Do as you will, Cruella. I know we're both just trying to keep him safe. Carlos, can you write me a word? Try cat C-A-T."

He did it without hesitation, so quickly that she suspected he had been forming and writing words in his mind for quite some time. "Good boy."

Cruella rolled her eyes. "What about dog, Sweetie?"

His eyes widened, but he wrote that word as well. The letters were shaky as his entire body trembled. His mother noticed. "You know what dogs do to little boys, don't you? They attack them. They bite them and bite them until they die. Lots of dogs, since they're pack animals. You know what that means."

Why did she have to terrorize the kid like that? Carlos was such an easy going child, and very little trouble to her. He fed himself, dressed himself and seemed to take special care to keep out of his mother's way. "There are no dogs on the Island, though."

"That we know of." Cruella smiled dreamily. "But Carlos is going to find me one, isn't he? He's going to help Mommy get the coat of her dreams."

Carlos nodded again, even if he was looking a bit sick. He would do whatever it took to make Cruella happy, no matter what the cost to himself. It worried the Evil Queen, but what could she do?

10 Years Out

"Mommy?" The whimper was quiet in the doorway of he master bedroom, but Belle heard it instantly. Part of being a mother was being aware of your children, even when you were deeply asleep. 

She rose instantly and went to the girl standing there. "Evie, what's wrong? Are you sick?"

"No." The little voice was teary, so she took her daughter by the hand and walked her back to her room. Since the twins were older now, she and Adam had decided they needed their own space, instead of the nursery they had shared since they were just a few months old. It had taken some getting used to, but they had both enjoyed being able to decorate to their own tastes. "I'm sad."

Belle crawled into bed with the child and held her close. What was wrong? Had something happened at school today? Evie was hitting that age where even good girls could become cliquish and mean. "Why are you sad, Evie?"

"I...I don't want to tell you!" And she burst into stormy tears, burying her face in the pillow. "I don't want you to be sad, too!"

The woman's heart broke. "Evie, it makes me sad to see you sad. I want to make you feel better, and I cant' do that if you don't tell me what's wrong." Belle ran her fingers through the sleep tangled hair.

"I'm...I'm worried about her. My other Mommy."

The words were like a punch to the gut. Belle wanted to be Evie's only Mommy, not one of a pair. Her daughter hadn't seen the woman in a decade and had no memories of her face. And Belle had to be realistic about the Evil Queen. She had probably forgotten Evie as well.

"That doesn't make me sad, sweetheart. It makes me happy to know that I've raised such a good and compassionate girl."

"Really?" There was no sarcasm in the words, since Belle had never once lied to her.

"Really." 

"Do you think she misses me?" She played with her hair. "Even a little bit."

Two lies in just a few minutes. That had to be some sort of record for Auradon. "She must. How could anyone have a girl like you and not miss her?" Desperately she cast about for something kind to say. "And you know what? We already told you that she picked your name, but she picked your nickname, too. The very last thing she told the fairies when she asked them to find you a new family was that she called you Evie instead of by your full name. She wanted to be sure we called you the right thing?"

Neither she nor Adam had ever fully believed that story, but the fairies had been insistent and it did make for a pretty tale. It certainly seemed to please Evie, who looked at her with sparkling eyes. "She did? So she loved me."

"She absolutely loved you. She loved you so much that she wanted you to have a better life here with us, where you could learn to be good."

"I wish that she could have come, too. Then we could have been a big family, and you could have taught her how to be good, just like you taught me."

Time for lie 3, the biggest of them all. "I wish that, too."

 

*****

"Did she say exactly what happened? Because no one told me." Aladdin set the carpet down gently hand helped he off of it. "They just said there had been an incident."

"She didn't tell me either. Jay is such a good boy. He's a little impulsive, but never deliberately naughty. Well, almost never." Unlike King Adam, Jasmine had never worried about Jay turning out evil. Circumstances might cause evil behavior, but everybody had a choice. After all, her own Aladdin had been a street rat and a thief when she met him, and look where they were now. A happy family with two beautiful sons. One of whom they were being called to the school to discuss.

Fairy Godmother called them to her office, where Jay was already sitting. As soon as he saw them, he leapt up and flung himself into Aladdin's arms, whimpering miserably. His normally cheerful face was tear stained and he allowed Aladdin to pick him up in a way he had insisted he was too old for for at least two years. Jasmine gave the Fairy Godmother a hard look. "What happened?"

She sighed. "As you know, it was field trip day, so we were going to take them to the museum. We do it every year and there has never been an issue before. It went well until Jay got separated from the group and wandered into the Villain Exhibit. It was very upsetting for him to see Jafar's statue."

Aladdin glared. "It's very upsetting for me to see that statue! I don't know who commissioned those horrible things, or why, but they're insensitive and gross. Why did no one consider what it could do to these kids to see their parents on display like that, to be mocked and degraded?"

"There are only four statues, and only two relevant ones. Neither Cruella or Maleficent managed to have a child, thank the Heavens, and we didn't think about the others. That exhibit is not part of the tour for children."

"It shouldn't be part of the tour for anyone. I understand that this hasn't been a problem in the past, but things are different then they were. There are children, innocent children, who don't need to be exposed to things like that. It seems to me that this was something King Adam should have considered when he decided that we should be taking their children." Aladdin shifted his youngest and glared heavily at Fairy Godmother.

It was a cute show, but Jasmine knew that the problems ran deeper then could be fixed by moving a few statues. Fairy Godmother inadvertently said it herself. Only two of the statues were a problem. Except they weren't. If one was wrong, they all were. It was just more obvious with those of Jafar and the Evil Queen because their children were here. 

But what about the others? The Island was full of villains, yes, but it was also full of disturbed minds, people who had been abandoned by Auradon. Just a few weeks ago, she had overheard both of her boys singing that disgusting song out in the garden. "Cruella deVil, Cruella deVil, is she doesn't scare you, no evil thing will...." She had sat them both down and explained to them that they were being cruel to a very sick woman, one who wasn't in control of herself. It was no different then making fun of someone in a wheelchair, or who had lost their sight. 

It was a losing battle, though. Not when their friends all sang nasty songs or told cruel jokes and most people just chuckled and looked the other way. It wasn't as open as it had once been, and the jokes had mostly died down about the parents of the children now living in Auradon, but they still ran wild about the other villains. "Can we take Jay home, please?"

"Of course. We'll see what can be done about the statues before next years trip. Jay, we'll see you tomorrow."

He didn't even look up from where his face was buried in Aladdin's shoulder. Jasmine shook her head. They had known that this day would eventually come, but she had hoped so hard the Jay would be a little older, and better able to understand what they had done a decade ago and why. But the time was now and all they could do was try to pick up the pieces.

****

 

"Mal Bertha! I know you can hear me! Come downstairs this minute." Maleficent's tone was cheery, but there was an undercurrent of steel that told Mal to move quickly. She carefully put her drawing under the bed and walked down the stairs. Not too fast, since she didn't want to look eager. Her mother hated ass-kissing almost as much as she hated failure. 

"Yes, mother?" 

Maleficent looked her head to toe, and Mal resisted the urge to squirm. She was strong, as strong as her own mother. She had to be. "Today is a rather special day for you, daughter of mine. I've decided that you're going to be allowed to leave the house."

Despite her best efforts, Mal startled at her mother's words. "I am? But won't I be in danger of being taken?"

"I doubt it. There are many children here now, and you've grown old enough that your age is harder to guess. No one would look at you and know you were missed in the Great Raid. Plus, they want babies over there. Clean, fresh slates that they can claim as their own. No one wants dirty little 10 year old girls who still can't remember their basic math."

Mal could certainly knew what two minus one was, should she ever decide to rid herself of her mother. And she might even be able to divide the woman into two parts, if she could find herself an ax. But she said nothing. Going outside of the property would be absolutely amazing. 

"I won't be going with you. I can't risk being seen with a child dragging after me, especially since there's no denying where you got those looks. You're to go to the market and back only. I want you to buy something to prove you actually went instead of hiding somewhere."

Don't look too impressed, don't look too impressed. 'How will I buy something when I don't have any money?" 

Her mother put a hand to her forehead and sighed dramatically. "I will give you some money. Honestly Mal, you could have though of that one for yourself."

Mal's face burned, the same way it always did when her mother made her feel stupid. Especially since the woman was right. She should have figured that one out on her own. "Is there anything special that I should buy? Anti-wrinkle cream, perhaps? Scale polish?"

It hurt when he mother slapped her, but it was a good sort of pain. It was the sort of pain that meant Maleficent had lost control, while Mal maintained hers. It was the sort of pain that meant she was getting stronger by the day, and would one day be strong enough to get rid of her mother once and for all. 

Maleficent shoved some money into her hand. "Go and get some bread. The cart is right on the edge of the market, and you should be able to handle this task. Do not go any further in, do not talk to anyone, and for Evil's sake do not go anywhere with someone you don't know. I expect you back within the hour. Have I made myself clear?"

"Yes." Mal turned smartly and walked out the door. She had never been beyond the limits of her own property, and that was mostly at night. She put the coins in her pocket and straightened her shoulders. People picked on the weak. If she looked strong, and stood strong, she would be strong, and more likely to be left alone. The market was less then a mile away, but she knew that her mother would like her to be back faster. She had already pressed her luck once today with her smart mouth, and she didn't need to do it again by being late.

The closer she got, the more nervous she was. She had never once spoken to someone who was not her mother or Jafar. What did she say? How did she know if the bread was good or if the dealer was trying to pull one over on her? Jafar bragged about doing that all the time. 

The stall had more bread, more food, then she had ever seen in her life. Round loaves, oval loaves, square love. Which one was she supposed to buy? She saw what they ate at home, but what if one of the others tasted better? 

"Hello there, little girl. What can the Muffin Man get for you today?" The man was looking at her in a way that Jafar never had, a way that made her skin crawl. "A loaf of bread? Or maybe something else. I have something that all the little ladies like." He pointed down, behind the counter. What was he pointing at? Mal started to lean forward, then remembered her mother's warning. She moved back, out of arms reach.

"I want bread. That one." She pointed at a random loaf, not caring any more how it would taste. 

"As you wish, little darling. Just remember to come back soon. I love having my girls visit. I might even have a gift for a little girl who makes me very happy." Mal poured the coins into his hand, still not getting too close, and took her prize. If she moved quickly enough, maybe her mother would let her have some for lunch. She had done exactly what Maleficent had asked, after all.

She wasn't more then 20 feet from the stall when something slammed into her so forcefully that she was sent sprawling to the ground, the wind knocked out of her. The bread flew from her hand and bounced across the street.

Immediately, the pressure was off as whoever had hit her snatched it. Mal had expected an adult, but this was a kid her own age, maybe a little younger. He was smaller, which was why he had jumped her from behind. Hair tthat faded from black to white, and eyes as cold as Mal's own. He stared for a second, then took off, taking her bread with him. In seconds, he had vanished into the market.

Sucking huge breaths into her lungs, she glared at the Muffin Man, who was trying not to laugh. "You could have helped me!"

"Against that one? No, thanks." He pulled back his sleeve to reveal scars running down his forearm. "He fights like a damn wolverine. Better to just let him have it, girlie. You'll never catch him."

"Who is he?" She got up and dusted herself off.

"Don't know. Personally, I think he's one of those kids they missed in the raid a few years ago. There were supposedly a few. He started showing up a about a year ago in the market place. Steals food like a magpie. I just let him have some old stuff, and he doesn't mess with my fresh things."

"Yeah, thanks for nothing. " She turned to march home. Her mother was not going to be pleased with her.

As it turned out, 'not pleased' was an understatement. Maleficent was angry that she had lost the bread, of course, but she was far angrier that Mal had been bested by some unknown kid. "You didn't even fight back?"

"I couldn't breathe! He caught me off guard and knocked the wind out of me." She was whining but she couldn't stop. "That stupid Muffin Man wouldn't help me."

Maleficent and Jafar exchanged looks. "If you were down and helpless, you're lucky that all that man did was stand back and laugh at you. Did he try to get you to go somewhere with him?"

The words were casually asked, but Mal saw through them. She still didn't understand exactly what had happened, but she did understand that her mother had somehow set her up. What would have happened if she had gone behind the counter to see what it was that the ladies all liked? "Yes but I didn't."

"Well, there's that. Describe the boy to me."

As soon as Mal described the hair, Maleficent's eyebrows rose. "Cruella deVil. Really, how very interesting."

Jafar snickered. "Even I wouldn't be that desperate. She'd probably skin you half way through."

"Clearly someone made it all the way, or she wouldn't have a little beast of her own. Mal, go stand in the corner. I don't expect you to move until you can give me a 15 minute discourse on everything you did wrong today, and how you're going to keep it from happening again. If you have to stay there all night, I'm fine with it."

Mal pressed her forehead into the corner, her temper seething. Stupid kid. Stupid Cruella the puppy killer. She didn't know what she was going to say to her mother, but she did know one thing for sure: if she ever saw him again, that deVil boy was dead. 

****

It had been a pretty good day. Carlos had finished his chores by mid-morning, and snuck out of the house to roam the marketplace. Things were much easier when he didn't have to rely on Cruella to feed him. Most days he could find something that wasn't too rotten or moldy and be back in time to work on some of his books.

Today he had managed to get an entire loaf of bread from some girl who wasn't paying attention to her surroundings. He might have felt bad about it, but this was his first time out of the house in a week and he was too hungry to care. He had fallen over the couch the last time Cruella hit him, and sprained his ankle. It still hurt, but it was bearable now.

The stolen food was hidden in his room, under all of his textbooks, where he knew his mother would never think to look. She refused to send him to school, so he had been forced to teach himself. She said it was because she loved him and would miss him too much, but it was mostly so she could make him do all the work around the house. It wasn't' too bad. The garbage barges brought a lot of old textbooks, and he could usually piece together what they were saying if he worked at it. 

Equally fascinating were the storybooks. The kids in the books were always happy, while Carlos seldom was. He studied them just as hard as he did his textbooks, trying to figure out the difference. The happy kids in the book had a Mommy and a Daddy, while Carlos had neither. Well, he didn't think he did. He had a Cruella and a Darling. He watched them both curiously. Was one of them his Mommy? He had hair like Cruella's, but his skin was light like Darling's. Neither one of them had his freckles. His eyes were dark like both of theirs. When he was younger, he had thought that maybe one of them was his Mommy and one was his Daddy, but now that he was 10, he knew better. Daddies were men, and they gave Mommies money so they could fuck them and give them a baby. He had seen in a bunch of times in the alleyways behind the marketplace. For some reason, the storybooks never showed that part, though. Maybe you were supposed to figure it out on your own.

He supposed it didn't really matter. He didn't have the happy feelings that they kids in the books did when they saw their Mommies, and he certainly didn't call either one of them by that name. He didn't call them, or anyone else, anything at all. Silence was his friend, and his weapon. Darling had tried to get him to talk, year after year, but he didn't. 

Cruella was sometimes nice, but mostly not so much. She had a lot of rules, and a lot of chores for him to do. When he did it right, she added more. When he did it wrong, she used her fists. Or that long cigarette that burned and made him cough. Or her fingernails. Or her closet with the bear traps hidden inside. Sometimes he hated her. Most of the time, he didn't have feelings one way or the other. 

Darling was nicer to him then Cruella was. She had never once struck him, and she kept an eye out for more books that he could study. Sometimes she told Cruella that he was smart. Smart was a good thing, even if he wasn't sure exactly what it meant. But Darling didn't live there all the time. She just came to visit, then left him with Cruella. So he hated her even more then Cruella. At least Cruella was consistent, and Carlos loved consistency. Darling was worse, because she made him hopeful, and then took it away.

Even though they had been there as long as he could remember ( and Carlos had a wonderful memory. He remembered sleeping in the box when he was two years old, back when Cruella was having a hard time remembering that he was a person and not a puppy), he didn't feel bonded to either one of them. He wasn't really bonded to anyone. 

But, he was doing ok. The older he got, the better he was at avoiding Cruella when she was mad and figuring out ways to get his chores done faster and better so he could have some time out of the house. Sometimes he picked up parts from the garbage barges and used them to help. The storybooks showed him a vacuum to replace dusting, so he cobbled one together. It worked, much to everyone's surprise. He was even able to repair it when it quit working. It had actually gotten to the point where people sought him out in the marketplace to build and fix things for them. Cruella took most of the money, of course, but he was able to hide some of it. More money meant more furs, which made her happier. Happy Cruella was less violet, knowing that she might accidentally injure Carlos too badly for him to go out and work. It was a win win for both of them.

Ok, where to next? He picked up the stack of books that Darling had left that morning. Periodic table. Ok, that seemed like a good place to start. Down the hall, Cruella and Darling screamed at each other. He didn't have to listen in to know what the problem was this time. Him. He was always the problem. Carlos hunched his shoulders and plugged his ears while staring at the book in front of him. Hydrogen. Helium. Lithium.

There was an even louder shriek and sound of something breaking. Carlos jumped off the couch and scrambled for his closet, wishing suddenly that he still had that box to hide in. He curled into the corner and wrapped his arms around his head, waiting for it to be over. Hydrogen. Helium. Lithium. Hydrogen, Helium, Lithium. Hydrogenheliumlithium. Hydrogenheliumlithium. Hydrogenheliumlithium.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, what was the most appalling Island moment? evie being ripped out of her mother's arms? Cruella thinking her infant cried like a puppy? Maleficent basically setting her daughter up to be pervert bait? Carlos' oh so charming ideas about where babies come from? Mal's plotting to get rid of her mother? Every person who looked over the chapter had a different opinion. Including, oddly, one who was quite offending by Jafar calling baby Mal a little bitch. 
> 
> And what about the people in Auradon? They love the kids, but they aren't coming off to well either.


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is kind of a boring chapter, but I had to get everything set up to move Carlos and Mal in. Next chapter will have them actually arriving, which will go about as well as you would expect.

You have a choice. A single choice, whatever that choice may be, you have to live with the consequences it brings. That's all. A choice.  
G. Gutierrez.

 

"Your highness?" The words accompanied by a nervous knock. "There's a matter that requires your attention."

King Adam groaned under his breath. There was always a matter that required his attention. "Is it an emergency, or do I have time to retrieve my son?"

Ben was just a few months away from 16 years old, and at 16, he would take the kingdom. Adam had been working with him more and more, allowing him a chance to debate in Royal Court, or to help write laws. Ben was going to be a good leader. He was far more mature then Adam had been at that age, and he was already starting to offer strong opinions at court. 

Still, he couldn't help but feel for the boy. The other boys were attending extra Tourney practices and going to parties, and Ben was being forced to sit around with a bunch of old men and talk about archaic laws. Evie was carefree and happy, getting top grades and working on her love of fashion. His twins were split for the first time since Evie had joined them. She was still allowed to be a teenager, while Ben suddenly had to be a man.

"We do have time. It's been 15 years. What's a few more minutes? I'll meet you down on the Great Room." With that, the man was gone.

The king's heart sank. While many things had happened 15 years ago, they all knew that there was only one that really counted. Was his daughter in danger? More horrifying, would he have to send her back? No. He would die first.

He couldn't bear to look at either his wife or daughter, so he sent a courier for Ben and took a minute to compose himself. Whatever was wrong, he could fix it. A quick study in the mirror told him that he looked calm and rational, every inch the king.

Ben was waiting at the door, looking worried. He had never been pulled from school before, and he had to sense the tension. "Dad? What's going on?"

"I don't know yet. Listen attentively and count to three before you speak. Remember, you are representing our family in there." 

"Ok."

The table was full, which was another bad sign. He had expected to see Fairy Godmother, but the rest of the Fairy Crew was there as well. Aurora and her husband sat at one end of the table, both with grim faces. There were the doctors who had handled the Island children that first night, and through the years. King Adam greeted each of them courteously, encouraging Ben to do the same and sat down. "Let's get down to business, shall we?"

 

No one wanted to be the first to speak, but Fairy Godmother took the role. "As you know, it's been almost 15 years since our raid on the Island. We took every child under the age of three, and have raised them into good, productive citizens. Our experiment has proven that any child, properly cared for and nurtured, is capable of rising about their wicked nature."

Ben shot him a horrified look. "Dad! She's calling Evie an experiment! She isn't. She's our family." The words were hissed too softly for anyone else to hear.

Adam grabbed him by the hand, squeezing to signal that he should be quiet. They would discuss this later, and he would make Ben understand that sometimes things were rather rudely put in court, and that he couldn't take it personally.

"Yes, things have gone very well. The children are all deeply loved by their families. Certainly no one could speak ill of them now." He gave Fairy Godmother a stern look, hoping she would get the hint. "Is this another 5 year status report? Because if so, Ben needs to return to class. He has many years of sitting through reports ahead of him."

Some of the attendee's laughed, but it was nervous laughter. Whatever the bombshell was, it hadn't dropped yet. "No, it's more then that. We've been getting some reports from the Island. More children have been born, of course, but these reports seem to center on teenagers, two to be exact."

He actually felt sick. "We missed some." It came out a strangled whisper. 

"It appears that way. One boy, one girl. We have reason to believe that the boy is the one responsible for the hole in the barrier a few months ago."

This was not good. The hole had been small, and easily repaired, but there was nothing to prevent him from trying again. And if he could do this at 16 years old, despite an entire legion of Auradon citizens assuring the public that it could never happen, what would he be able to do at 20? "Do we know who these children are? Are they twins?"

"No. In fact they appear to have a rather antagonistic relationship. Our sources claim that the boy is the child of Cruella deVil, while the girl belongs to Maleficent."

Oh, that was even better. The daughter of the most evil woman alive, and an apparent genius who might well have inherited his mother's mental instability. The only bright spot was that they apparently hated each other. If they would work together, they might have actually blown the barrier down, instead of just punching a hole in it.

"We're going to help them, right?" Ben spoke before Adam could silence him. "I mean, it's not their fault that someone messed up and left them behind."

This was why Ben had to attend court. He had to learn that you made choices as a ruler with both your head and your heart, and sometimes those two would be in conflict. When that happened, you listened to your brain. "We will discuss the options."

"What are the options? Dad, they're just kids, like us. That could be Evie left there. Why wouldn't we do something?"

If he had known what this meeting was going to be about, King Adam would have taken Ben aside and discussed it in private, instead of in front of the entire royal cabinet. "Because we have to think about more then just these two children. 16 is very nearly an adult, and, if it's true that this boy damaged the barrier, who knows what else they could do?. Not to mention the amount of damage growing up in that place for 16 years could have done. Do we rush in to save two, and put the rest of the kingdom at risk?"

Ben shot him a sulky look. "There's no proof that they've actually done anything wrong. It took all of Auradon months to get that barrier in place. How could a 16 year old put holes in it? It was probably just a fluke. You're the one whose always saying we shouldn't judge the kids here by their parents, but that's what you're doing to these two!"

"It's not that simple, Ben." 

"Yes it is. And even if they do have some problems, we can help them here. It's not better to just leave them on that Island, where no one is watching them. If they don't see any good, how are they going to choose it?"

Those were better arguments, and it was not the first time King Adam had heard any of them. A small but quite vocal group had protested the creation of the Island in the first place, citing those very same reasons. They had been outvoted, of course, but he was starting to suspect that he should have listened to them a bit closer. 

Instead of speaking to Ben directly, he held his hands out to the assembled cabinet. "Alright, let's discuss our course of action. Do we owe these children anything? Does Auradon have any responsibility to any citizen of the Island? Is it fair to judge these children based on their parents and things that they may or may not have done? At this point, will removing these two children from everything they have known for 16 years, tearing them away from their friends and families, and bringing them over to an entirely different world cause more harm then good to the children themselves, and to Auradon as a whole? Everyone speak their mind."

It descended into chaos instantly. The doctors refused to make any recommendations at all without seeing the children in question. Maybe they would adapt well to new surroundings, with proper support and attention. Maybe it would destroy them. They expressed particular concern over the deVil boy. There was a family history of metal illness, and he had been raised by a very unstable woman. He was in a situation that was ripe for the development of some very serious problems.

"Maleficent was a literal monster. What prevents her daughter from coming here and transforming into a dragon herself?" Prince Phillip spoke above the crowd. "It not even be the child's fault. Her magic has been blocked since the day she was born. Once she breaks through the barrier, she may not be able to control it."

That was something to consider. Auradon hadn't had a dragon since Maleficent, and he had no idea where the slaying tools might be these days. Probably being used as props in the theater department. 

"What do we do with them once they're here? It's a small matter to find a home for an infant, but who wants to take two unknown teenagers? Or do you plan on just leaving them at the school like unwanted puppies?" 

Fairy Godmother interrupted. "Roger and Anita were not able to attend this meeting, but they have expressed an interest in taking a role with the deVil boy if he's alright with it. He would still board at the school, but they are willing to have him for holidays and outings. I believe that Anita feels poorly over how things ended with Cruella, and would like to do better by her son."

That was good. This boy was going to need a strong support system made up of as many people as possible. That was provided, of course, that they agreed to take him off the Island at all.

"And Maleficent's girl? Is anyone willing to take her?"

"We have not yet located a suitable mentor for her. But we also haven't been looking very hard yet. When we make the final decision on what to do about the pair, we'll do more. As of right now, we have a very limited number of people who even know that these children exist."

"So we're going to do it? We're going to help them?" Ben was obviously excited.

No one answered him. They had moved on to talking logistics. How were they going to get the pair? Staking out their homes was only going to alert Maleficent and Cruella that something was wrong. They had loved their kids enough to hide them the first time around, why would this time be any different. 

And it wasn't just the parents. A 16 year old was not an infant. They could fight back, and it could quickly turn bad. "What if they don't want to go? Do we have the right to force them? Is 16 old enough to make that sort of choice?"

Ben tried to get everyone's attention back. "What if they do want to go? If they say no, I guess they say no, but if they say yes, that means they can come?"

"I don't know that 16 is old enough for that choice. There's a reason that we leave decisions to adults. If the deVil boy is old enough to make that sort of choice, he's also old enough to face consequences for breaking the barrier. You can't have it both ways."

Eyes turned to Ben, and King Adam found himself squirming uncomfortably. In just a few months, a 16 year old would have responsibility for running the entire kingdom. Someone the same age as these two teenagers.

Prince Phillip spoke again. "So we give them the choice, then? Come here and abide by our rules, or stay there and live in the filth?"

This could be his saving grace right here. Give the children a choice, and if they chose to stay, then the issues was out of his hands. If they chose to come, he would have every right to set rules and boundaries for them. "That could be a workable solution. Thoughts?"

"I think it's a good idea." Ben leaned on his elbows, looking like a teenager and a man all at once. "They'll do it, I know they will."

Fairy Godmother was nodding as well. "Send letters to the parents. Clean and to the point. There will be no mention of punishment for hiding the children. Set the date for two weeks from today. That should give us plenty of time to set up supports if they decide to come."

With that, the meeting was over. Not everyone agreed with the decision, but you could never please everyone. He just hoped that he hadn't made the biggest mistake of his reign.

*****

"You will go, and that is final." Maleficent was practically vibrating with glee. "Those morons over in Auradon are playing right into my hands."

"I won't go, and that is final. I'm not going to go play nice with a bunch of spoiled princes and princesses. Why would I want to leave here? Unless it would be to get away from you!" Mal knew that she was screaming, but she didn't care. For the first time ever, she had something to hold over her mother. "You can't force me to sign that paper."

"I can forge your signature, and don't think that I won't." Maleficent drew to her full height, which was unfortunately shorter then her daughter.

"Then I won't get in the car. I'll tell them that I don't want to go. Face it, mother, you can't make me do it."

"Mal, darling." Now she was cajoling. "Come sit with Mommy."

Mal had never addressed Maleficent as Mommy in her entire life. But she sat anyway, because she was quite curious about what her mother was planning. Mal knew that she was a nasty girl, and she reveled in it, but Maleficent did have her beat in that department. She was only 16, though, and she had plenty of time to take over.

"How long have we been on this disgusting Island? Torn from our homes over political differences, forced to live on their scraps, never knowing...."

Oh for Evil's sake, not again. Maleficent was nothing if not a drama queen, and she had at least a 10 minute spiel on how the villains had been wronged all those years ago. Every time she told the tale, it got a little bit longer and significantly more oppressive. Maybe she should agree to go to Auradon just so she wouldn't have to sit through this again.

Maleficent noticed that her daughters attention was wandering. "Anyway, we need to get off this Island and back where we belong. And you, my darling daughter, are going to be the one to do it."

Ok, now she was interested. Could she really be the one to set everyone free of the Island? Could there be a more evil act? If she could do it everyone would know that she was far more powerful the her mother. "I'm listening."

"On this side of that wretched barrier, I can't access my magic. Magic that I know I've passed on to you. Once you're in Auradon, you will come into your own, and the barrier can be broken from that side."

"Didn't someone put a hole in the barrier from this side not that long ago?" It had been a huge deal when it happened, since no one knew how it had been done. Someone had to be performing magic, but who? And how?

"Yes, they did. And if I could figure out who it was, I wouldn't need you, now would I? But, unfortunately, that person has yet to be found, so we're going to go with plan B. Which is you."

"What do I do?" She had the feeling that this plan had been hatched long ago, way before she was even born.

"Get the wand That old bat Fairy Godmother used it to create the barrier, and you will use it to destroy it. You will not fail me, Mal."

Oh, sure, easy for her to say. She wouldn't be the one tracking down the wand, figuring out how to wrestle it away from the citizens of Auradon and learning to control her brand new magic while having to put on nice face for the children she would be going to school with.

"What prevents me from ditching this place and never looking back?" She had to remind her mother who was in charge here.

"Then you'll get exactly what you deserve: marrying some spoiled rich prince and spending your life popping out babies and singing to the local wildlife. Let me tell you, darling, motherhood isn't all they claim it is."

If she listened to her mother's claims, Mal would have thought that motherhood involved nothing but sacrifice, giving up on her dreams and being a constant servant to a wailing brat. She didn't see how it could actually be worse then that. "That sounds like an utter nightmare."

"It is. Now, I'll be sending my spellbook along with you. It knows how to disguise itself, so you needn't worry about them knowing what it is. If they ask, you tell that that it's your diary, and that it's private. Those fools will never think to question you further."

"And what do I get for doing this?" Mal crossed her arms over her chest. "It seems like I'm going to be doing all the work here while you get all the glory."

"Take the Island." Maleficent dramatically waved a hand. "All of it, for all I care. See if you can round up the brats around here and make a kingdom of your own."

Mal liked that idea. She was already feared by the kids on the Island (except for the deVil brat. He had gone from stealing her food because she was there to actively targeting her. And the bastard was fast, too fast for her to ever see it coming), and it would be easy to get them to do her bidding. They would grow and become stronger, while Maleficent and the other adults grew older and weaker. If she played this right, Mal would be the one ruling Auradon within the decade. That was provided, of course, that she didn't just bump that old bitch off before then. "Done. I'll sign the paper and go to Auradon. I will smile, and flirt, and do whatever it takes."

Her mother was suspicious of her sudden change of heart, but she didn't fight back. "Wonderful, Mal. Sign the paper, and we'll begin to formulate a workable plan."

Mal signed quickly, before she could lose her nerve. She would not act like a coward. She was Mal, daughter of Maleficent. She would do this, and she would do it better then anyone else. 

There were no other choices.

*****

"Carlos? Where are you, Baby?" Darling was calling him, but Carlos didn't get up. He wasn't really sure he could. His lip wasn't bleeding any more, but his head still hurt badly. He had slammed it against the corner of the table and now his vision was kind of funny. Not funny like something that would make you laugh (which he never did- Carlos had yet to find funny things in his life), but funny like he had suffered a pretty bad concussion. The medical books said to go to a hospital, but they didn't have one on the Island. So he laid quietly and hoped that he wouldn't die from it. Probably not. This wasn't the worst injury he had walked away from.

The sad thing was, he didn't even know what he had done this time. The furs were fluffed, Hell House was spotless, and he had brought in more then enough money this week. He had even done Cruella's hair for her, though he didn't know why it was so important. There was no one to see it but him and Darling, and Darling never noticed when her hair was nice or not. Carlos noticed, but he didn't care. 

Sometimes he suspected that Cruella was getting worse and worse. Her temper was shorter, and he was quicker to be violent. She would probably kill him one day. He didn't really care about that either. Her certainly didn't have much to look forward to.

"Carlos? Are you in bed?" She cracked the door and peeked in. "Are you sick again?"

Not yet, but he could feel the tightness in his chest. He had an almost constant cough that sometimes left him on the floor, barely able to breath. Darling said it was because he had to sleep on the damp floor and Cruella was constantly blowing smoke in his face. 

Darling came over and knelt next to him. "Let me see...Oh, Carlos, not again."

Even though it probably wasn't meant that way, he couldn't help but feel like he was somehow getting blamed for this. Maybe it was his fault. 

Darling tugged him to his feet and walked him over to the bathroom, where she could look more closely at his injuries. There was an obvious bump over his eye, which was probably going to turn black again. The lights hurt his eyes, and he put one hand up to cover them. Darling pulled it down and wiped the dried blood off his face. "This has to change."

Carlos pulled away from her. He didn't like people touching his face, even if there were trying to help. And what did she think she was going to do about it? She said that things had to change at least once a year, and they just kept getting worse. 

"Go sit on the couch. We have something to talk about."

He didn't want to, but Carlos had learned a long time ago that you didn't fight back against Cruella or Darling. The room spun when he walked, but this wasn't the first time that had happened. By now, he knew how to correct the spin and move in a straight line.

Darling sat next to him on the couch and held out a letter. "A letter came from Auradon today. They want you to come live there with them."

Carlos shook his head, and immediately regretted it when the room spun again and his stomach lurched. He couldn't throw up his breakfast, because he didn't know when he would eat again. 

But he didn't want to go live in Auradon. Life sucked here, but this was his home and he didn't want to leave. Cruella was mean, but most of the time he knew what to expect here. He knew who was an ally, who was to be avoided, and who he could use to his own advantage. In Auradon, he would have none of that.

Plus, as Cruella was fond to telling him, Auradon had dogs. Big, mean, dogs who would tear his throat out and bite his fingers off. He might have thought that she was lying to scare him, but he had seen pictures of them in his books. Textbooks, so he knew that it was true. 

He would rather take his chances with Cruella then the dogs. At least there was only one of her. Pack animal meant lots of them. 

Darling pointed at another part of the letter. "Look at this. They want to send you to school. Prep school, and that means rich kids. Rich kids means rich school. That means you'll have brand new text books, and a huge science lab for you to do your experiments in, and lots of good food. The people there are going to know how smart you are, and they'll help you do even better.'

That was sort of tempting. All he had to work with here was garbage, which was why a lot of his stuff didn't work, or broke right away. A few months ago he had almost gotten more channels for the television, but his remote had blown up on him. Maybe that wouldn't happen in Auradon. 

Darling reached out and took his hand. Carlos didn't push her away, but he didn't squeeze back. If he didn't react at all, she usually let him go. But this time she didn't. "I'm going to be honest with you here. You know I love you very much, and I want what's best for you. Your mother is a very unstable woman, and she's getting worse. She's unpredictable, and I'm afraid that she's going to kill you one of these days. She came very close several times when you were younger. If you go, you have a shot at a real future, away from us. Staying here is going to give you a short, miserable life. Do you understand what I'm telling you?"

It was a pretty speech, but Carlos had missed most of it. Cruella was his mother. Darling had said so. Darling said she loved him. But that wasn't possible, because nobody loved him and he loved nobody. Besides, she wanted to get rid of him. If she loved him, she would want to keep him, just like she wanted to keep her real kid that got taken in the Great Raid. He was just a shitty replacement, so she didn't want him.

A door scraped open and they both jumped. Cruella (he was never going to think of her as his Mommy. Mother might be alright, because that was just a biological fact, but Mommy was a special name and he couldn't imagine that she would ever fill that role) called out. "Carlos? Those chores better be done or you will be even sorrier!"

Darling shoved the letter in his pocket. "Just think about it, ok?" Her voice rose. "Oh, Cruella, dear! I've been keeping him from his chores. He's such lovely company that I haven't been able to let him go."

Carlos stiffened reflexively when Cruella stepped into the room. Her eyes swept over him and her lip curled slightly. "Lovely company? Really? Has he suddenly been blessed with speech after 16 years? Or are you using him for a different sort of company? He has grown up quite a bit in the past year."

Darling turned a strange color. "He's a still a child and that's a disgusting thing to suggest. Carlos, why don't you go to your room for a little while? Cruella and I need to have a talk."

More like a screaming match. Those happened more and more often now. There was more throwing things, too. He had taken to sleeping with his arms over his head after a drinking glass was flung through his doorway and hit him behind the ear.

Since the two of them were going to be busy for a while, he took the Auradon letter out and read over it. Darling was right, this could be a big opportunity for him. Just having somewhere to sleep and enough to eat would be a huge improvement. He wouldn't be safe from the dogs there, but he wasn't safe from Cruella here. 

More glass broke and he immediately covered his head. That would be something else for him to clean up in the morning. Right along with the chores he hadn't done today. Hopefully his head would hurt less.

Better the devil you know? Maybe not this time. He scrawled his signature on the letter so quickly that it was almost illegible. He had either just made the best or worst decision of his life.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Aww, nobody is happy with the choices they've made, are they? Except Maleficent, of course.


	4. Ch-ch-changes.....

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I was so excited by all of the nice reviews and kudos that I got this chapter together quicker then normal. Thank you to everyone for your support!

Life begins at the end of your comfort zone   
Neale Donald Walsch

 

The next two weeks both drug and flew by. The new children would have to have a place to sleep, which meant carefully matching them with roommates who would be welcoming but not easily intimidated. It meant arranging for testing to see where they were academically. It meant finding enough people with magical knowledge to bring down the barrier. And it meant choosing chaperones for the trip.

Fairy Godmother herself had been roped into the trip, to handle Mal, along with Anita for the deVil boy. If she wanted to take on a nurturing role with him, now was a good time to start. His signature had been impossible to read, though she was fairly certain that his name started with either a 'C' or and 'L'. 

Like the raid 15 years ago, things were done in secrecy. She suspected that these teenagers wouldn't appreciate an elaborate welcome, and she disliked the thought of them becoming some sort of freak show to be gawked at and talked about. It would happen, but she didn't need to put them on display their first day here. 

Both Ben and King Adam had very badly wanted to go, but that idea had been quickly rejected. The Island was a dangerous place, and the last thing they needed was a hostage situation. 

The ride to the Island was quiet and strangely lovely. Anita, while still looking like the epitome of an elegant lady, was dressed down in jeans and a pullover shirt, carrying only a small bag. She looked ready to fight back if things turned poorly. "I hope this goes well. Roger is a little uncertain about the entire thing."

"He may well be a sweet boy at heart." The words felt hollow and false.

"I know that it's hard for you to believe, but Cruella was a sweet woman. Brilliant, fun. We were like sisters all through high school and college. I've never had a friend like her before or since. She just got sick, and no one could help her. What happened with the puppies...it was terrible, but you have to understand that she wasn't in her right mind. I miss who she was."

Fairy Godmother wondered if Anita had been one of the people against creating the Island in the first place. "You think that we should have done more for her."

"No. When she was stable, and taking the pills she was supposed to, I could see flashes of my best girlfriend. But then she wouldn't take them any more, and she would spiral back down. She was dangerous, and we couldn't make her do the things she needed to to help herself. I wish there had been more options, but there weren't."

"Her boy could have well inherited those issues." It hurt, but it needed to be said. 

"I know. We're just going to have to hope for the best." She clutched her bag closer. "I brought some pictures for him to look at. I thought it might help him feel more comfortable."

The woman in the pictures bore little resemblance to the madwoman that had been sentenced to the Isle. In those pictures, Cruella just beamed with good humor and intelligence. There were shots of her and Anita cheerleading, smiling together at a school dance, doing their hair and nails. It was heartbreaking. And if it felt that way to her, she could only imagine how it felt to Anita. 

"She would want me to help with her son. We had it all planned out. We were going to have our babies together, both boys, and we were going to raise them like brothers. It just didn't happen for me. I can't help her, but I can help him."

They were rapidly approaching the barrier, and Fairy Godmother felt her stomach clench. It had always come down on command before, but she would prefer to not be splattered on it like a bug on a windshield. 

But it came down without a hitch, the car coming to rest on the dock. It was well past midnight, and there were few people around. Rumors flew about creatures that lived in the waters surrounding the Island, ones that were able to breach the barrier and snatch unsuspecting Island dwellers to their doom. Those rumors were 100% false, but it kept people from attempting to disrupt the barrier, so she did nothing to counteract them. 

At first she saw no one, but then two figures appeared out of a doorway. The smaller must have been the deVil child, but woman accompanying him was clearly not Cruella. He stepped forward grimly, as if he was on his way to an execution rather then a better life. There was a trash bag, mostly empty, clutched to his chest. The Evil Queen, for it was her, walked with him, but she didn't touch him, nor did she make any effort to speak to him and offer comfort. When the finally got to the car, she opened the door for him and touched his back one time. She looked at the pair in the car. "His mother was unable to bring him, but she sends her regards." When she looked at the boy, who was staring at his battered boots and looking like he had no idea where he was, her eyes softened and her hand twitched as if she wanted to hug him, at least reach out and touch him one last time. But she didn't. "You know what to do."

He nodded without making eye contact, and slid into the seat. When she closed the door, he made no effort to reach for her, nor did he even look after her. She might as well have been a stranger to him. 

Anita and Fairy Godmother exchanged looks. That had been....anticlimactic. She had expected a scene. She had expected insults and curse words and threats should anything befall this child. At the very least, she had expected Cruella to come herself.

She certainly hadn't expected the woman to just leave the kid and walk away. Why go through so much trouble to keep him all those years ago, and just abandon him now?

The light on the roof of the limo was on, allowing her to see the boy well enough. He was...not what she had been expecting. His hair was dark at the roots, but faded to white, the colors like Cruella's. But his skin was quite light and splattered with freckles. He was small and thin, though it was hard to tell jut how thin with the jacket and long sleeves he wore. 

But those eyes. Dark, dark, brown, nearly black and fringed by the thickest eyelashes she had ever seen on a boy. They were a contrast to his light skin and looked like they held all the secrets in the world. When he peeked over and accidentally made eye contact with her, she felt as though he was pulling her into a black hole, one she would be lucky to escape from. There had always been rumors about Cruella's own eyes, and how she had enslaved men with just her gaze. He looked away immediately.

So this was the one they were accusing of trying to break the barrier? This quiet, frightened child? She didn't believe it. 

Anita was the one to break the silence. "Hello there, Sweetheart. I'm Anita and this is Fairy Godmother. It's nice to meet you. We had a little trouble reading your handwriting when you signed your paperwork. Can you tell us your name?"

Nothing. The kid looked down and started to tremble, but he didn't make a peep. Could he speak? Did he even have a name? Anita looked helplessly at Fairy Godmother, but neither one of them knew what to say. It had been less the a minute, and already this kid was proving to be more of a task then they had thought he would. 

Determinedly, Anita tried again. "It's ok to be a little shy. I get nervous around new people, too You don't have to tell us anything right now." She reached out to stroke his arm.

There was an explosion of movement as the kid shot over her lap and against the far window of the car, knocking his head sharply His arms came up to cover his face in what almost looked like a boxer's pose. What had been a small tremor turned into violet shaking.

Obviously, someone had struck this child, and more then once if the strength of his reaction was anything to go by. Anita dropped her hand, tears springing to her eyes. "Sorry. It's late and I know you must be tired."

Fairy Godmother was grateful that someone had thought to apply the child locks to the car, because she could hear him scrabbling at the door handle in a desperate attempt to get away from them. His eyes dashed up to the sunroof, but it was closed as well. He was trapped.

Things could have gone any one of a dozen ways, but they were interrupted by the arrival of Maleficent and her daughter. Fairy Godmother stiffened. Maleficent strode forward confidently. "Here she is! Ready for her brand new life as a good little girl. Mal, go put your suitcases in the trunk of the car."

Mal herself looked less then impressed. She stood with one hip cocked and her eyes trained on her mother. Fairy Godmother's skin crawled at the combined look of hatred and worship in the girls eyes. 

The older woman leaned into the car, her horns bumping against the doorframe. "Hello, Fairy Godmother! Are you really so disappointed in your own daughter that you need to import mine? I don't blame you, Darling."

"How dare you!" She wasn't disappointed in Jane, not even a little bit. The girl was sweet and obedient, even if she was falling victim to some of the typical teenage girl shallowness. "Jane is a lovely girl, and any mother would be thrilled to claim her has their own."

"Hmph. Well, I certainly hope you can do better by Mal then you've managed to do with your own child. Not to mention this Island. Mal? I expect that you'll remember everything we've talked about and live up to my expectations for you." She smirked at Fairy Godmother and blew her a kiss. "Toodles, my Sweet! I'm hoping we'll see each other again very soon."

Unlike her companion, Mal did look after her mother as she walked away, and she looked devastated. She looked like exactly what she was: a little girl who had just been abandoned by her mother. Fairy Godmother opened the door. "Come on, Dear, it's time to go."

Upon stepping into the car, she noticed the other occupants for the first time. Her eyes went narrow and her lip curled. "You."

Without warning, she lunged over both women and attacked the little deVil boy, slamming him against the door. He transformed from a terrified child to a wildcat and fought back. She slammed her forearm across his throat and he flipped over and kicked her in the thigh with both feet, knocking her loose. 

"Hey!" She and Anita grabbed at them, trying to stop the fight. "Knock it off, both of you!" 

The managed to wrestle the pair apart and push one against each window. "What was that!"

"I'll kill him." Mal's words were hissed, and the deVil boy bared his teeth at her. 

Fairy Godmother was regretting this already. She banged her fist on the partition separating them from the driver. When he rolled it down, she snapped. "I need to have a kid sit up front."

He looked in the rearview mirror at the kids, who were shooting eye daggers at each other. "No way. I do not get paid enough to wrestle wild animals."

"One of us will sit with them and ensure that they behave." She tightened her grip on Mal, who was still fighting to get free. "I'll double your pay." They were already paying through the nose, but she was desperate.

"Fine, but I don't want the girl. Give me the quiet one." He stepped out and opened the door for Anita and the deVil boy. She thought that he might try to bolt as soon as the door opened, and she had already decided she wasn't going to chase him. Clearly, both of them were far more damaged then they had suspected, and wasn't going to run him down and force him. A dark part of her was almost hoping that he would make the attempt.

But he didn't. He made sure to grab the trash bag (that couldn't possibly be what he had his possessions in. It was too small, and didn't even look full. No, she must have missed the Evil Queen putting his possessions in the trunk of the car.) and followed Anita. He had a perfect shot at running when Anita stepped into the car first, but he just followed her. 

Mal was glaring at the back of his head, so Fairy Godmother put the divider back up, leaving only an inch or so down so she could communicate with Anita if needed. "What was that about, Mal? He didn't do anything to you."

"This time." Her eyes snapped. "He steals from me. Bastard."

Now was not the time to address the language issue. "He steals from you? What does he steal?"

"Food. If you don't watch it all the time, he'll get it and then you can't catch him." She crossed her arms.

Fairy Godmother suspected that if this kid was stealing food, it was probably because he was starving. Not just hungry, but starving.. "I see."

She looked up front, but no one gave any indication that they could hear her. "What's his name?"

"I don't know."

She didn't know the name of a boy who appeared to be her sworn enemy? "Really? What do you call him, then?"

"Mother Fucker." She said it without a trace of irony.

"You've never once asked him is name instead of just beating on him?" So far they had impulse control issues, fear issues, aggression, and foul language. And they hadn't even hit the bridge yet.

"Oh, he doesn't talk." 

Even though she has suspected as much, Fairy Godmother had to confirm it. "Ever? And do you know why?"

"I've never heard him and neither has anyone else. And I think he doesn't talk because he's stupid."

Again, she wasn't going to pick a fight with the girl tonight. While she thought of something else to say, Anita leaned backwards. "Do we have some refreshments? We could both use a drink and I believe my friend here is hungry."

She tore open a pack of peanut butter cups and passed a soda through the gap. The second cup was offered to Mal, who took it suspiciously. Her eyes widened as she tasted it. "That was...not the worst."

"May we have another one as well? Also maybe take the paper off? I'm pretty sure he swallowed that, too." Anita extended a hand and Fairy Godmother pressed a few different snacks through. She just hoped that they didn't end up making him sick.

They were rapidly approaching the barrier, which meant they were almost home free. She was grateful that it was nighttime, and there was no way Mal could see what was happening. The deVil child probably could, but he wasn't going to be saying anything about it.

Two things happened as they hit the barrier. The first was that there was a frightened whine from the front seat, proving that he was indeed capable of making noises. 

The second was that Mal went absolutely ballistic. Her eyes turned bright green and began to glow. It was just like looking at her mother, and Fairy Godmother drew back. Then she started to scream, tearing her fingernails down her own face. The sound bounced all over the car, making the driver jerk the wheel and causing another tiny whimper from up front. 

Prince Phillip had been right. Once she passed the barrier, the magic that had been blocked from her exploded out, and she had no way to cope with it, physically or mentally. 

Things might be peaceful in Auradon now, but Fairy Godmother hadn't helped make that peace by being useless. She put her face to the divider and bellowed "Drive! Anita, keep him calm!" while simultaneously whipping her wand out from under the seat. She had retrieved it from the museum two weeks ago, refamiliarizing herself with it and remembering all the things that it could do. She froze the girl, preventing her from hurting herself further and silencing the car. One Mal was still, she pressed the wand to the girls temple, knocking her out.

Looking at the suddenly peaceful face, Fairy Godmother felt nothing but pity for her. She was going to have a hard road ahead of her. They were gong to have to reevaluate their entire plan for her. She couldn't go to the dorms or class until she was better able to cope with her new power. This plan had fallen apart before they even set foot on Auradon's shores. 

The thought made her remember that it was a 'they' and not a 'she'. She leaned forward. "Is he ok?"

There was a long silence before Anita offered. "He's quiet."

That didn't sound good. Fairy Godmother leaned forward, trying to see what the boy was up to. He had curled up into a tight ball against the door, arms over his head and body stiff. He had to be terrified. Anita looked over helplessly. "He doesn't want me to touch him."

Neither child moved for the rest of the trip, despite Anita's coaxing words and her own offers of more candy then any 10 people could eat. She expected Mal to remain unconscious for quite some time, but had hopes that the boy would move.

As soon as they were close enough, she put in a call for both King Adam and at least two of his strongest guards to meet them at the hospital. Someone would need to carry Mal, and she had no idea what to do with the deVil boy. The King had to see this, and be aware of the long reaching consequences of both his choice 15 years ago and the one made just a few weeks ago. Not that she was innocent in those choices either, but she had a feeling that these two would remind her of her choices for a very long time. 

The driver looked over to the passenger seat, then in the rearview mirror. "This might not have been a good plan."

"Nobody asked for your opinion." Anita's voice turned ice cold, before returning to it's cajoling state. "I wish you could tell me your name. It seems mean not to have something to call you."

"That's right, nobody asked for my opinion. Nobody asked for anyone's opinion about dragging a pair of feral animals into Auradon and setting them loose. Seems to me that the citizens should have been asked, or at least made aware. Or were you just hoping they would fit right in? Because I'm telling you right now they won't. You put mad dogs down."

How many citizens of Auradon felt the same way? These were only teenagers, and ones who had suffered greatly at that. But they were more damaged then anyone had suspected. Was it just these two he objected to, or was it all of the children from the Island? Was there an entire contingent of citizens who wanted them gone?

It was hard to think about. "These are humans, not dogs."

Again, he looked at first one, then the other, and shrugged. "Not seeing so much of a difference."

As much as she would have liked to give him a further piece of her mind, she was afraid to. He might dump them out of the car right there on the bridge, and they were still too far from home. So she bit her tongue and waited. She would speak to the King in private, later.

He was waiting for them outside the hospital, a guard on each side. He must have rushed to answer he call and be ready.

The first guard pulled the door open and lifted Mal out, cradling her as tenderly as they had cradled the babies 15 years ago. She had seemed larger then life on the Island, but now she looked very small. Fairy Godmother took a minute to stare at her, cataloguing her relaxed face and sweet features. She had a feeling it would be a while before she saw this again, and it would be nice to remember it. "The spell should last a bit longer, but we need to monitor her closely. She's completely overwhelmed with her magic.

The second guard opened the front door and reached out for the deVil boy. "Come on-" He might have been wanting to say something more, but was interrupted by a black and white blur coming for his face. Apparently he was more aware of what was happening around him then they thought, and made a mad dash for freedom the minute he could.

For a second they all gaped at his retreating back. Mal had been right, the boy was fast. And headed for the water. The thought of him not being able to swim spurred her into action. "Chase him!"

Running the poor boy down was not going to make him trust them any more, but desperate times called for desperate measures. The guard (Alan? Austin? Amos?) managed to grab the kid right before he hit the water. His voice carried back. "No, no, you can't- Ow! Ow, the little piranha is biting me!"

Not just biting, but firmly latched on. The guard (goodness bless him) determinedly drug the kid back and into the hospital, never flinching. A few minutes passed, during which time someone must have pried the boy loose, and he returned, arm freshly bandaged. Fairy Godmother sighed and prepared another string of apologies. She sensed that she was going to get very good at this over the next few weeks or months. "I'm very sorry. I had no idea he would bite and-"

He cut her off with a wave. "It's alright. He was just trying to defend himself, and something tells me he's had the roughest night of his life. He's scared and he wants to go home."

Sadly, she wasn't so sure that that was true. Something told her that this boy had had many rough nights in his 16 years on earth. "Thank you for your understanding."

King Adam looked at her, taking into account her flushed face, mussed hair, and the wand still clutched tightly in her hand. "I take it you had an eventful trip."

It was all she could do not to burst into tears. "They're....awful. I've already broken up a fight between them, no one thought to mention that the deVil boy can't talk and we don't even know his actual name, Mal can not mentally handle the magical awakening, and one of them bites! They probably both do!"

He wrapped an arm around her. "It's alright. We know that the adjustment would be difficult for everyone. We'll just have to keep them separate for a while, and let whatever the issue is die down. Did you ask Mal if she might know the deVil boys name?"

"Of course I did. She doesn't know, but apparently he answers to Mother Fucker." The king's jaw dropped at her language, and suddenly she found herself giggling hysterically. "Well, at least we can call him something!"

The laughter helped her focus and blow off some of the tension of the day "Should we see how our little snapping turtles are doing in there?"

"Did they bring anything?" He peeked into the limo.

She leaned in and retrieved the trash bag that the deVil boy had been holding. "The rest is in the trunk. Mal had two big suitcases and I'm not sure what else he had."

King Adam had retained much of his amazing strength, and he lifted Mal's suitcases with one hand before coming back up with a funny look in his face. "That's it. There's nothing else in there."

So that trash bag was it. All of his 15 years distilled down to what felt like nothing in her arms. "Oh."

Neither one said anything more as they walked up to the hospital, because there was nothing to say.

Mal still slept, with a team of doctors checking her vitals and keeping a close watch on her. They would do a full exam and blood work, of course, but Fairy Godmother suspected that things would come back perfectly normal. The girl's problems were going to show when she woke up and her magic flared back to life.

They were greeted outside the deVil boy's room by a frazzled looking doctor. "We would like your permission to sedate him for the exam. He's obviously stressed and I don't think that causing him further trauma at this point is a good idea."

She wondered if this man was sporting a bite mark somewhere as well. "Whatever you think is best for him. How is he doing?"

"Quiet. You can peek at him through the one way mirror if you like. "

The hospital, and thus the mirrors had been built long ago, when Auradon was still a dangerous place. They hadn't been used in years. Both she and the King walked into look at their newest citizen. He sat on the bed in stony silence, his shoulders straight and his eyes locked straight ahead. One of the doctors spoke briefly to him and lifted his arm for the sedative. The kid didn't flinch as the needle went it, nor did he attempt to pull away. This was clearly par for the course to him. Adults hurt you, and it did no good to fight back.

The drug was quick-acting, and his eyes started to droop in minutes. He startled as his balance failed, and jerked wildly when the doctors attempted to help, but there wasn't much he could do, and he eventually went limp. 

The Kind shook his head. "Poor thing. He really doesn't look like his mother, other then the hair. I wonder who his father is."

"Goodness only knows. I don't believe we know anything about the other side of their family trees." 

"Do you think we should take a look through their things? We don't want to find out that they've brought any unpleasant surprises with them."

It felt wrong to invade their privacy like that, but safety came before etiquette. "That would be a wise course of action."

Since both children were deeply sedated, they stepped away and into a better lit room. Mal's suitcases went first. King Adam raised an eyebrow. "Quite the decorations, aren't they?"

From a purely aesthetic view, they were. The suitcases had been painted with a dragon design, two in perfect reflection of each other. The words 'Long Live Evil' were skillfully worked into the design. Lovely, yes, but disturbing at the same time.

The first suitcase contained neatly folded clothing. Fairy Godmother shuffled through it, looking for a weapon that could have been hidden. Nothing. The second suitcase had a rather eclectic mixture of objects. Some jewelry, a few books, photographs and a bunch of art supplies. There was a small horned doll, looking well loved. "Do you think she drew the picture on the suitcase herself?"

"It's certainly possible. If she enjoys art, that can be used as therapy for her later" She swept a hand through the assortment of objects. A diary tumbled out, catching on her fingers. For a moment, she considered reading it, but decided against it. The girl had lost so much tonight, why make her lose her privacy as well? "I don't see anything dangerous." She close the suitcases. "Though who knows what they might be able to turn into a weapon."

The deVil boy's bag contained three outfits, all in black, white, and red. "He's picked up his mother's fashion sense, I see."

"He's probably never been encouraged to develop his own. Among the assorted bits of clothing were 4 shirts, 3 pairs of shorts and one jacket. That was it. No long pants, no extra shoes, no pajamas. No socks or underwear. "This isn't enough for a full week. He needs more."

The king smiled grimly. "I would suggest buying it in his favorite colors. Cruella didn't send anything else?"

"No." No books, no pictures, not a plush lovey or a blanket that might smell like home (though home apparently smelled like cigarette smoke and mildew). "Wait, what's that?" There was a piece of paper sticking out of a jacket pocket. 

It was a letter, neatly sealed in an envelope. Fairy Godmother tore it open and read it out loud.

To whom it may concern,

I am writing to tell you a bit about my boy, as Cruella is not likely to provide any information. His name is Carlos. He does not have or respond to any nicknames. His mother is Cruella deVil, his father is unknown.

As I am sure you have already found out, he does not speak. He has never spoken that either I or his mother has heard, not even as a baby or toddler. He will gesture when he wants to and he does understand everything that is said to him. 

Carlos is very smart. He has never attended school, but has taught himself with no help from his mother or I. Given some wires and spare parts, he has built functioning refrigerators, vacuum cleaners, and remote controls. What they control, I have no idea, since he doesn't tell me, but they obviously function. He both reads and writes, though he prefers science and moths to the language arts. He hates writing stories.

He eats everything, and has no allergies. He does have frequent small colds, but seems to get over does not have other health problems. 

I do not know what he does socially, or if he makes friends. He has certainly never brought any to Hell House, but there are likely many reasons for that. Most days he vanishes into the market when his chores are done and doesn't come back until late at night 

Carlos is a very obedient boy. He does what is asked of him and does not show an attitude about it. His mother has taught him to be that way. 

He is very self sufficient. He cooks for and feeds himself, washes his own clothing and knows how to take care of the house. He studies hard. He does not need an adult to remind him to do these things.

It is my hope that Carlos will be able to see a real doctor who will help him learn to speak. I think that he will, given time.

He is a very gentle boy. It is not in his nature to fight or be aggressive at all. 

I will miss him very much, but I feel that he is better off in Auradon. His mother is a dangerous woman, and I fear for his safety and life if they are not separated.

Please take good care of him. He is an exceptional child, and one with a great deal to offer. 

Grimhilde, Queen of the Island

PS: I lost my own baby girl, Evie, in the Great Raid 15 years ago. I hope most of all that she is loved and cherished by whichever family was lucky enough to raise her. Though I know I will not see her again, I think of her often and miss her always. I want her to know how very much I love her.

PPS: We do not dye Carlos' hair. It grows that way naturally.

When she was finished, she couldn't look the King in the face. This was his daughter being discussed, and it was being thrown in his face that she had another family out there.

"I think we've done enough for tonight." His voice was tight. "Get the boy some clothing and whatever else you feel they might need. I'll come back by tomorrow to check on them."

He turned on his heel and walked away, leaving her standing in a hospital with two half-feral children whose needs she had no idea how to meet. To waste time, and to get her mind off of things, she looked over the letter again. So Carlos cooked, cleaned, and took care of his own schooling needs. What exactly did Cruella do? 

It wasn't hard to read between the lines of the letter, either. She now knew exactly why the boy responded so violently to being touched. 

With a soft sigh, she put her forehead against the wall. "Well, Mal. Well, Carlos deVil. Welcome to Auradon."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Who else thinks that Fairy Godmother went home and whipped out a flask? I would have.


	5. Chapter 5

Nothing is perfect. Life is messy. Relationships are complex. Outcomes are uncertain. People are irrational. Hugh Mackey

 

It was a very quiet carriage ride home. No one knew what to say to the king, and he didn't know what to say to them either. Despite all of his reassurances, a part of him had really thought that bringing Carlos and Mal over would be just like bringing the rest so many years ago. That they might be a little rough around the edges, but they would be easily taught and molded.

That had been an....overly optimistic view. Never had he seen Fairy Godmother so distressed or using such language, even if she was just repeating what Mal had said. He was looking at long term issues and months if not years of healing ahead of them, if they could heal at all. 

He was torn between wishing that the pair had never come to his attention, and feeling that this was what the king was supposed to do. He had put the villains on the Island, but he couldn't escape the fact that they were still his responsibility. They were no longer citizens, but they were reliant on Auradon for food, clothing, and everything else. He had committed to those people, and their children by extension. What good was he as a king if he couldn't help the very least among them?

Belle and the twins would be waiting up for him, he was sure of it. What was he going to say to her? Oh, Goodness, what was he going to say to them?

Ben was very nearly the king and, on the day of his coronation, he would inherit the kingdom, but it's good and bad parts. He would also inherit Carlos and Mal. What had he done to his boy?

And Evie. As she had gotten older, they had had more discussions about her adoption, and spoken more about the Evil Queen. They had done their best not to speak ill of her, and to emphasize that Evie had been very loved. They showed their daughter the pretty dress she had come in, and the tiny bracelet that had been around her wrist. It was cheap thing, but undoubtedly precious on the Island. She had been loved, and it was alright to love her first mother back.

What they hadn't discussed, though, was that Evie had less been given up for adoption, and more just plain stolen and so had all of her friends. It had been done with the best of intentions, but how could they explain it? She would hate them. It was better that she just not find out. 

"You're making that face again." Belle greeted him just inside the door. "Come on to the kitchen and we'll talk about it."

She made them come cocoa, though he would really prefer something a little more adult to drink. "This is going to be harder then we thought, isn't it?"

"Yes. If it gives you any idea, they're both in the hospital and sedated right now. I don't' know when we'll be able to release them. And...there's something else. The Evil Queen wrote a letter and sent it with the little deVil boy. She acknowledged missing Evie, and wants her new family to know how much she loves her. I don't know what to do about that."

Belle raised an eyebrow. "We tell her that, of course. It will be nice for her to know that she's still loved. But why on earth is the Evil Queen writing letters about the deVil boy? Is not Cruella's son?"

He thought about the hair and those haunting eyes. "He is definitely Cruella's child. But I think that the Evil Queen has played as much, if not more, of a role in the actual raising then Cruella has. She didn't even bring her own son to the docks. The Evil Queen brought him, and she was the one who wrote us a letter to say a bit about the boy. She does seem attached to him."

"She misses her daughter, and he's a replacement." It wasn't said in a rude or snarky way. It was just an acknowledgement of fact. "Someone has cared for him."

"I don't know that it was enough." He thought about Carlos panicking and bolting from the car, and the way he had looked when the needle went in. The resignation was worse then the panic. He also hadn't missed the bruises that had been revealed when his sleeve was pulled back. "He has nothing. One trash bag with 3 changes of clothes. That's it. Nothing else. Not a toy or special blanket, not pictures, not anything to do with a hobby."

"That's awful. His own Mom didn't even kiss him goodbye or give him anything to remember her by?" There was a new voice in the doorway.

"Evie?" How much had she heard? "What are you doing up? And where's your brother?"

"Asleep. That's why I came down here. Cruella doesn't sound very nice." She crossed her arms over her chest.

"No, I don't think she is very nice." He held out an arm and she came over to cuddle against him. "But they're both safe now."

"So my other Mom took care of Carlos, too? Like she and Cruella were both his parents?"

"That appears to be the case. The only way we're going to know for sure is if Carlos tells us, and he doesn't talk." Unless that happened, there were a lot of things they were never going to know about him.

"Why...oh, I guess we don't know. If my other Mom made Carlos like her kid, does that make him my brother?"

"Well....." Belle looked helplessly at him. "Not exactly."

"But Ben is my brother, because he's your son. Carlos is like my other Mom's son." 

"You've been raised with Ben, dear. That's what makes him your brother. You don't share blood with Carlos, and you haven't been raised with him, either." He understood why she wanted to think of Carlos that way, though. He would be a connection to her the Evil Queen, and could maybe tell her something about the woman. "But I'm sure he could use a friend. This has to be very frightening for him."

"I can do that. When can I meet him?" She was already plowing ahead.

"We're not sure yet. We'll have to see how he's adapting, and when he feels ready for visitors. But you know what you can do? I'll show you the clothes he came with, and I would very much appreciate you getting him more in the same size." There, that was something that was very much needed.

"Ok! Do I have any restrictions?" 

Usually her only restriction was monetary. Evie had a flair for fashion and almost unlimited imagination, and her looks had become very sought after among the other girls at school. "Black, white, and red. Those are the only colors he came with."

She gave another quick nod. "What style?"

He just stared at her. The clothes Carlos had come with did seem to be in some sort of style, but he had no idea what to call it, or even if the kid cared. Maybe those were just the clothes that fit him and could be found. "I don't know."

"Show me what he has and I'll figure it out." She was all but vibrating with glee. She so seldom got her hands on a brand new victim these days. "What about Mal?"

"I didn't even speak to her. By the time I got there, she was already sleeping." It was only a half-lie.

"Oh. Well, what's Carlos like? 

Adam thought of the bite mark on Andrew's arm. The man had been understanding, but it had been deep. He was going to have to remember to give him a nice bonus for this. "He's very nervous right now. I don't think he really understood what he was signing when he agreed to come." He was also starting to get a nasty suspicion that Cruella had no idea where her son was right now, and that was the reason she hadn't come to see him off. 

He wished that there was more he could tell her, but he couldn't think of anything. "We should know a little more tomorrow."

She was obviously disappointed, but he really didn't have anything else to say to her. He had seen the boy for mere moments, and hadn't actually spoken to him. Suddenly Evie jumped up. "Wait! Wait right there for a second, I'll be right back." And she was off in a pattering of bare feet on the stone.

Belle released as deep breath. "That was close. The twins aren't babies any more, and clearly they know how to listen at doors. We have to be more careful with what we say."

"At least it's just Evie. I know she tells Ben everything, but we can address what her other mother wrote in private with her." 

This time they were listening, and were able to hear her footsteps returning. She was clutching a blanket an pillow from her own closet. She pressed them into the Kings arms. "Here. These are for Carlos so he can have something special that's just his."

It was a very sweet gesture, but he knew that that particular blanket was one of her favorites. "Are you sure? I know you love that blanket."

"I'm sure. I have lots and lots of them, and this is the only one that has black and white and red with no other colors. I think he'll like it."

The blanket was extra soft and warm, fit for a princess, but not overtly feminine. "I'm sure he'll love it. I'll take it over to him first thing in the morning." He held out his arms again, and she gave him a tight hug. "There's something else I wanted to talk to you about."

Her eyes widened. "I don't know how Chad's science project exploded, and he's lying if he accused me of having anything to do with it."

Belle had to cover her giggle with a ladylike cough. "Really? Is Chad the one who's lying right now?"

"No." Her shoulders slumped. "But he deserved it! He's said nasty things about me and Harriet, and wrote them on the bathroom walls, too! He thinks that we're going to be bad girls just because of where we came from. He doesn't do things like that to Lonnie and Audrey!"

King Adam barely repressed a growl. That little creep! But he couldn't let her know that. "If he did that, you should have let either Fairy Godmother or I know so we could have addressed the issue with his mother. You do not need to take matters into your own hands. I will let it slide this time, but I do not want to hear about it happening again, do you understand?"

Evie scowled. "Yes, sir. But she won't do anything about her little Chaddy-poo. She thinks he's perfect. But what did you want to talk to me about?"

"Your other Mother wrote about you in her letter." He spoke gently, since this was always a sensitive subject. Evie asked questions and wanted to hear about her other mother quite frequently, but also had a lot of anger and grief over her.

"She did? What did she say." The girl didn't make eye contact. 

"She said that she loves you and she thinks about you every single day. She says the family who got to raise you is very lucky, and we are. We're every bit as happy to have you as we are to have Ben and I never want you to doubt that."

"Can I see the letter? Maybe when I go to visit them?" Evie was so hopeful that he almost missed the second part of what she was saying.

"When you...see them? You want to actually visit with Carlos and Mal?" 

"Of course. Ben will be king and I'm going to be a diplomat. Part of a diplomat's job is to help and welcome visitors to Auradon. I know that they aren't really visitors, but it's good practice, right?"

That wasn't a bad idea. Teens their own age would be far less threatening then adults, and it would be a good gauge of how they functioned socially. Not to mention helpful for when they started school. It would be easier if they had someone they already knew and trusted. 

But he wasn't going to risk his daughter's safety with the deVil boy. There was no telling what sort of things he had seen or done on the Island, and he couldn't risk it. "You can visit with both, but things are going to need to stay supervised for now. I think it would be best if you partnered with Mal, and we found another boy to partner with Carlos. That way we can hopefully transition them into a roommate situation. Who do you think would be a good match?"

She accepted the half-truth unquestioningly. "Jay."

The two of them had always been close, and with Ben tied up more and more with his duties, they had become inseparable. "You think so?"

"Yes. He's really good at reading people and knowing what to do to help them. Plus, he and I have each others backs. And he'll do it because I'll tell him he has to and that's that."

There had been a time when King Adam was positive that Jay would one day be his son-in-law. The boy worshiped the ground that Evie walked on and they never seemed to fight or even disagree. When Belle had gently asked about it, though, Evie had turned bright red and shrieked "Mom, no!' Jay is a friend and that's all he'll ever be to me. It's just not possible for anything else." Then she had clammed up and refused to elaborate. 

It was a bit odd, but 16 was still young for some people. Maybe his little girl just wasn't into boys yet. Fine with him. He certainly didn't mind her staying a child a bit longer. "Then you and Jay will be mentors for Mal and Carlos as soon as they are ready for visitors. And I will determine when they are ready, not the two of you. Got it?"

"Got it."

"And I do not want to hear that anything unusual has happened to Chad Charming, either. Your mother will speak to his."

"Ok." She gave them each a final hug. "I love you."

Once she was gone, Belle shook her head. "I hate it when we have to discipline the children when we secretly agree with them. Chad is a little monster and he needs to be knocked down a few pegs. I'll speak to Cinderella, but Evie is right. She never believes that he could do anything wrong."

"I know. But Evie can't take justice into her own hands, either. If she wants to be treated as a diplomat and a grown woman, she has to act like one. People will do many things she doesn't like, but she has to put a smile on her face and remain in control. Do you remember some of your first trips to other countries?"

She nodded. "I guess you're right. And we swore that we would never speak of the Arendelle incident again. Goodness, I don't think I'll ever be able to look Queen Elsa in the face again."

They still had so much to discuss, but it was late and the day had been so long that he just gave up. He picked up the blanket and pillow, folding them neatly. Maybe by tomorrow both Carlos and Mal would be more settled in.

*********

 

They were watching him. Carlos wasn't sure how, but he could feel their eyes following his every move. After what they had done to him last night, he didn't trust anything they did. They said it would 'make him a little sleepy' and 'help him relax', and all it had done was make him unconscious. Who knew what they had done to him then? He had 3 needle holes in the crooks of his arms. One for the drug that knocked him out, but what about the others?

And they had taken his clothes off. Darling had always told him, from the minute he was old enough to understand, that no one should ever do that. If you let someone else take your clothes off, terrible things could happen to you. They would probably fuck you, and it didn't matter if you were a girl or a boy, or if you cried and fought back. That hadn't sounded right to him when he was a baby and still stupid, but when he got older and started going to the market by himself, he saw it happen more then once. He didn't think those men had fucked him (though they might have, he wasn't quite sure what it would feel like. From what he had seen, though, it hurt a lot, and he didn't, so he was probably safe), but why do it, then? Just to look at him naked?

They had put some white pajamas on him, which was what he had woken up wearing. The pajamas were soft, and he had never had any before, but he wanted his own things back. And some shoes. The floor wasn't too cold, but it might be cold outside when he made a break for it. And he would, as soon as the opportunity presented itself. Fuck Auradon. Darling had lied and said that it would be nice and he would go to a real school. That he would be safer here when he was away from Cruella. But all that had happened was they drugged him and stole his clothes and looked at him naked. This was a hospital, not a school. Liar.

At least they brought him breakfast. Some of the stuff he had recognized, and some of it was strange. There was toasted bread, which was good, and some sort of sweet fruity stuff to put on top of it. That was very good. Then there had been some eggs. He knew what eggs were from his books, but he had never eaten one before. They went bad quickly and things like that never made it over on the barges. The apple was red instead of green and much harder then he was used to, but he liked it. Even if he hadn't like it, he still would have eaten it. Carlos knew better then to waste food. 

He had been hoping there would be one of those circle things from the limo. Anita had given him three of them before stupid Mal freaked out and ruined the rest of the ride. Those had been the best things he had ever tasted in his life. But none had come with breakfast.

A man came and took the dishes away, but Carlos retreated under the bed. This was much better then at home, where his mattress was flat on the floor and didn't provide any protection. Here the head and footboards blocked two sides and the wall blocked a third. All he had to do was go underneath and defend that final side with his life. The man had said hello and greeted him by name, but Carlos ignored him. If his life had made him good at anything, it was ignoring adults.

As soon as the man was gone, he came back out and worked his way slowly around the room, looking at everything. The door was locked, but it had a small window just above his head height. He pulled over a chair and stood on it, looking out into a hallway. He didn't think that was it, though. If they had been looking through there, he probably would have seen them. There were no cameras on the ceilings or in the corners with red lights. So what did that leave?

Having a goal in mind helped cut down on the panic that kept bubbling up in his chest. Why was he really here? He thought that it might be because he had put that hole in the barrier, but then why did they need Mal? That bitch certainly hadn't helped him. 

But then why? They hadn't taken him when he was a baby like they took everyone else. If they hadn't wanted him then, why would they want him now? 

He ran careful fingers over each wall as he circled the room, looking for peepholes or any other irregularities. There had to be something...what about the mirror? He backed up and studied it, looking for any signs of a camera inside. There was nothing, but it was strange-looking. Maybe it was fancier then the broken things they got on the Island. He walked forward slowly and pressed his fingers to the glass.

But it wasn't glass. Whatever it was wasn't cold and it gave a bit beneath his fingertips. Curious, he moved closer and closer, until his nose was almost touching it. 

A shadow moved behind it, and he lurched backwards and back under the bed. They were watching him! That mirror was fake and there were people behind it spying on him. He had known it. Well, they could just look at an empty room, because he wasn't coming out.

He didn't know how long he was under there this time, but the door opened and a pair of shoes came in. There were two more pairs, but they stayed outside, the door. This was his chance to bolt. He didn't know what to do when he hit the water, but he would worry about that when it happened. First order of business was to get out of this hospital. Right as Carlos was getting ready to spring, the door closed. Crap.

The shoes walked over and stopped a few feet away. "Hello, Carlos. Would you like to come out?"

Yeah, right. Carlos pressed backwards and slid an arm in front of his face, just in case the man decided to kick him. 

"Alright. I'm King Adam. I know we weren't able to be introduced last night, but I wanted a chance to say hello and welcome you to Auradon." He paused, as if he thought Carlos would say something back. "Anyway, I thought you might want to know what was going on. Right now, you're going to have to stay here for a bit, while they run some tests and make sure you're as healthy as possible. Once the doctors say you can be released, you'll go to live at the school. Your....um...Grimhilde, wrote us a letter and said that you're very smart and that you enjoy science. We have a wonderful science program, and you'll be able to build whatever comes into your mind."

For a second Carlos was puzzled, but then he realized that Grimhilde must be Darling's real name. He was learning such interesting things about the people who had raised him over the past few weeks.

Despite himself, Carlos was a little interested. Maybe he would get to go to school after all. No, he couldn't think like that. He had to get out of here. Focus, damn it.

"Anyway, I thought that it might be nice if you had some company your own age. As soon as you're ready, I'm going to have Jay start coming to hang out. He's from the Island, just like you."

No, he wasn't. This Jay had been a baby when they stole him. He had no memory of what the Island was really like. He might have been born there, but he wasn't really from there. He was just another Auradon brat.

But that didn't mean Jay couldn't be useful in his own way. Carlos knew that he was very small and would be in serious danger in a physical fight, especially if there was more then one person, against him. He could barely hold his own against Mal. On the Island, he used Horace and Jasper as his muscle, but here he would have no one. Hopefully Jay would be big.

"So, for right now we're kind of in limbo. If your tests say your healthy enough, you could be out of here in a few days. You'll be roommates with Jay in case you were wondering."

He hadn't been, but it was good to know. Hopefully he was healthy enough to go live somewhere where there weren't people who hid behind mirrors and watched you all the time.

"One last things. My daughter Evie was quite distraught that you came with so few possessions. She wanted to offer you something in your favorite colors."

It would have been good if King Beast had started with that, because now he had Carlos' full attention. Evie was Darling's baby, the one they stole. The one she loved. He had heard a million stories about her, and now she was the daughter of the king? A real princess? This was unexpected. Darling had asked him to look for her, and he had nodded, but he didn't know if he would actually be able to do it. He hadn't even known if she would have the same name, and how do you find someone when the last picture was taken when they were a baby?

He really didn't know what he was supposed to do with this information, but it would go a long way towards satisfying his own curiosity.

"I'm just going to set them down right here and let you do whatever you want to. I brought a pad of paper and a marker for if you want to write something down. If you need something, let us know ad we'll try to get it for you, ok? I've got to go, but I'll come back and check on you after lunch."

The blanket and pillow were set gently on the floor and the man backed up a few feet. Once he was out of the way, Carlos snatched them and drug them under the bed. He had slept in worse places, but he wasn't going to turn them down, either.

He put he pillow close to the head of the bed and studied the blanket. It was mostly black and white, with a few red streaks in it. Cruella would have approved, and so did Carlos. He hadn't known that blankets could be this soft or fluffy. The one that had come with his bed was nowhere near as nice.

Now that he had a comfortable spot underneath the bed, he snuggled into his new blanket and closed his eyes. The door was noisy and he slept lightly. If he could take a nap now, he would be more alert at night, when the people might be gone from behind the mirror or at least unable to see him in the darkness.

It would just be a brief nap.

*******

 

It hurt. Her skin was too tight, stretching painfully over her tensed muscles. Her eyes burned every time she tried to open them, but she was too scared to keep them closed. There were people here, and who knew what they would do to her. That old bat Fairy Godmother came and went, standing over her and muttering spell after spell. For the first time in her life, Mal actually saw them, winding from the wand in a spray of color. It was beautiful, but what was it doing to her?

She screamed at the top of her lungs, which was the only weapon she had left. Voices murmured, but she couldn't understand them. Why had her mother not told her that it would be like this? Because she was a bitch, that's why. She had probably known that this would happen and just didn't care.

Suddenly it all stopped, so quickly that Mal thought she might be dead. There was no other explanation for why the pain had stopped. She drew in a deep breath and glared at the faces around her. "What the fuck!"

Fairy Godmother stepped forward. "Do you feel a little better, Darling?"

Mal was nobody's 'Darling'. "I'm fine. Now tell me what's going on." She tried to sound demanding, but it came out a bit shaky.

"Because the barrier blocked all magic to the Island, it also blocked your access to your own magic. When we came though the barrier, it broke free and overwhelmed you. We had to sedate you while we worked on dialing things back a little."

"So you took my magic away again?" Mal should have probably felt grateful, but she didn't exactly do grateful. "You stole part of me twice now. Nice job."

"Of course I haven't stolen anything front you. Your magic is still there, just at a more manageable level. Don't you feel any different?"

Did she feel different? Mal thought hard and reached down inside of herself. Maybe. There was something there that hadn't been there last night. "A little bit."

"As you learn to control it better, I'll release more and more until you're at you full strength. You seem like a bright girl, I'm sure it won't take long."

Mal wondered if her mother had known that this would happen. She had to have had some idea, since it had happened to her in reverse. Bitch was probably back on the Island, laughing away. 

Now that she could actually think, she realized what an opportunity she had just been handed. Fairy Godmother wanted to personally help her. That meant the woman thought that she was good and worth helping. Which meant she would eventually let down her guard and give Mal access to that wand.

But that was for in the future. First, Mal had to be 100% sure that she had complete control over herself and her magic. Her mother wouldn't help her, that was for sure, and she didn't have too much pride to recognize that she did need help right now.

In some ways, Maleficent had taught her daughter quite well. Like her mother, Mal knew how to wait and bide her time. And when the time was right? Auradon wasn't going to know what hit it.

"Ok, Fairy Godmother. Please help me and show me what to do."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next chapter we get things rolling with Jay and Evie meeting their new charges. This will probably be the last chapter with the King's POV. The rest will be from the Rotten Four. Rotten 2? I'm sure a little corruption could happen....


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know, I know, I said the last chapter would be the last one with King Adams POV, but I had to give him a little spot here. I fought with this chapter over and over, picking at it until I finally gave up and just decided to post it before I ruined it.

As soon as I saw you, I knew a grand adventure was about to happen  
Winnie the Pooh, a.a. milne

 

 

As he had promised, King Adam stopped back by the hospital around lunch time. Fairy Godmother had sent a message that Mal was awake and coherent, and he wanted to check in on Carlos and see if he was still hiding under the bed. At least Evie's gift had been well received, and was hopefully providing some comfort.

One of the doctors greeted him at the entrance. "Your Majesty. Are you here to check on the children?"

It was easy to think of them that way. They were both very small for 16 year olds. But something told him that they were far more adult then most of the citizens of Auradon.

"I am. How are they doing?"

The man's face changed rapidly as he tried to think of something encouraging. "Well...why don't you come in and have a look at them. There have been some donations, and we're trying to figure out what they might like. We also have their medical reports if you are interested."

"I am." He looked over the items being sent to the rooms. There was some light clothing, and a few plush toys and dolls. "Aren't those a little...young for a pair of teenagers? I would think they would be more into electronics and sports. The twins certainly are."

"Probably, but we don't want to give them anything that can be used as a weapon. Though Mal is certainly in there trying." 

Both rooms were equipped with one way mirrors, allowing them to watch the patients within. Mal was pacing from one end of the room to the other, grumbling to herself. Though he couldn't hear what she was saying, he could guess that it involved quite a few curse words. The cuddly toys she had been offered were now in piles of stuffing and the doll was stripped naked and thrown into a corner. "She wasn't impressed."

"No, not exactly. But she's up and moving, and she ate a good sized late breakfast, so she's much improved from last night."

"Good, good. And Carlos? How is he doing?"

"He seems a bit more comfortable. He was under the bed for a few hours, but I think he might have been asleep. He knows that there's something off about the mirror, though. He can't possibly see us, but he knows that it's not real glass and was quite spooked."

Unlike his companion a room over, Carlos was quite carefully picking though the offered toys. Each plush was picked up and examined closely, then set back down. "What do you think he's looking for?"

Each rejected toy was dropped into a neat pile at his feet, except for the plush dog, which was launched across the room immediately. One of the orderlies nodded. "He must get that from his mother."

Like Mal, Carlos was most interested in the baby doll. He tucked it lightly in one arm, prodding gently. It almost looked like he was cradling it tenderly, and King Adam felt a stirring of hope. When its hand was pressed, the doll lit up and its lips moved. The same orderly spoke again. "It says 'Mama' when you squeeze it."

The lovely moment came to an abrupt end when Carlos whipped something out of the pocket of his pants and neatly sliced the dolls head off. "Where did he get a weapon?"

They both leaned forward and Carlos continued to cut the doll, trying to figure out what he had. "I think it's the plastic knife that came with his breakfast. He must have sharpened it somehow."

Once he had cut the plastic away, the dolls mutilated corpse joined the rest of garbage on the floor and Carlos was left holding the internal mechanism that made the doll function. So what was what he had been looking for. The knife went back into his pocket and he retreated under the bed, taking the tangle of wires with him.

"What is he going to do with that?" The orderly sounded worried. 

Adam was actually less worried then when he had seen Carlos cut the doll. Grimhilde had mentioned that he enjoyed building things and was quite good at it. Repurposing old things was how he got his materials on the Island. The fact that he was showing an interest in one of his hobbies was a good sign. 

The door to the room popped open, this time with a man carrying lunch. He set the tray close to the bed and left. As soon the door closed, an arm shot out and dragged the tray under the bed. Less then a minute later, he emerged, the plate clutched in one hand. "Please tell me he didn't eat all of that so quickly."

"I'm sure he did. He wasn't hiding when breakfast came and I was actually afraid he would choke. His table manners.....need a little work."

That was a diplomatic was of putting what the King was sure was quite a spectacle. "Well that's fairly easy to remedy with some proper-"

Suddenly the mirror broke, spider web cracks extending for an indentation in the middle. Carlos had thrown the plate at it with deadly accuracy. They both jumped back. "I thought you said he couldn't see us!"

Through the cracks, he saw Carlos retreat back under the bed. His point had been made, and he was done. "I didn't think he could. Why don't we take this in the other room and go over the medical findings?"

There was a team of doctors waiting to go over the results. "Let's start with Mal, since she's easier. She's in remarkably good health. Her iron levels and some of the more minor vitamins are low, but I think that will improve with just having good food to eat. She's very petite, but, if you remember, so was her mother. Some scars, nothing too bad. We gave her a full round of shots, since I'm working under the assumption that neither one of them has had any. Physically, she looks quite good. Mentally, however...." He shook his head. "Since her magic was released so quickly and she had such a strong reaction to it, I wasn't able to do a full mental evaluation. That will need to wait until things calm down and she's less stressed out. It would be unfair to her to come to any premature conclusions."

Unfair or not, he had definitely come to a few of them, though. "What can you say to me off the record?"

"She's a very angry girl, and that anger seems to be directed at everyone around her. She's been threatening with the staff that has come in, and most of them are afraid of her. I'm worried about what will happen when she has access to her magic, and that anger hasn't healed."

"How do you go about healing anger like that?" He wasn't sure he wanted to know.

"Slowly. She needs someone to tie her to Auradon, and to love her for who she is right now. Right now she has no one, and that makes her a dangerous girl. Don't let her size or age fool you or make you pity her. She's looking for weakness."

Evie. He was sending his innocent daughter in to be sacrificed to a girl who was apparently quite dangerous. "Evie wanted to come see her. Do you think I should stop that from happening?"

"No. I would keep things closely supervised, at least for a while, but Mal needs someone, and Evie is a good choice. She's a lovely girl, but strong enough to be pushed into something she knows is wrong."

That didn't make him feel any better. He was just going to have to intercept Evie and tell her that it wasn't happening. There was no other choice. 

"One more thing. I didn't do an exam for sexual assault on either one of them. It didn't feel appropriate, considering the circumstances. The blood tests will be run for any sexually transmitted diseases, of course."

It wasn't, and he was glad to be spared one more heartbreak. If one of them complained or disclosed an assault, he would go from there.

"What about Carlos?"

The man picked up a thicker folder and sighed. "He's a tougher one." He took out a series of photographs. "I think these should tell you everything you need to know."

For a minute, the king wasn't even sure what he was looking at, other then the boy needed a good bath. He could actually see dirt smeared on the boys skin in places. 

Then he realized that it wasn't dirt at all. It was bruises, dozens of them. Bruises on his arms, his legs, the sides of his jaw. Greenish-purple marks on his neck. Marks of every color marring his back. "Shit." The word popped out before he could stop it. "Can those marks have come from anything other then abuse?"

"Considering the number and that they seem to have occurred at different times? No. There's the very small chance that he has some sort of bruising or bleeding disorder, but that still doesn't explain this." Another set of pictures, this time highlighting the small, perfectly round scars in the crooks of his elbows and on his collarbone. There was no denying that those were healed burns, and he thought he knew exactly what had made them. "Cruella is a smoker." It wasn't a question.

"Yes." The pictures were swept away, back in a file the King Adam was sure was going to grow quite large over the next few months. "He's underweight as well, but not dangerously so. He has a lot of muscle for his age and build. He is quite anemic, but I would prefer to not medicate him at this point. He's not likely to be cooperative, and I don't want to create a power struggle so soon. I would recommend giving him plenty of iron rich foods, and letting nature take its course."

"And his speech? Did you find any physical reason that he's not talking?" At this point, he almost hoped there was. It was going to be far easier to fix the boys body then his mind.

"No. I wasn't able to do an in-depth exam, but his teeth look surprisingly good. His tongue has no obvious deformities, and he does not have a cleft palate. That combined with the fact that he has no problems eating, tells me that his lack of speech is probably an emotional issue."

Of course it was. "Is there anything else I should know?"

"In my personal opinion, he's going to be the tougher of the pair. He's both skittish and aggressive, and it's hard to predict what he might do at any given moment. I don't know what is the result of his past experiences and what is the result of a genetic predisposition towards mental illness. It's entirely possible that we won't know for years. Many illnesses develop in the late teens to early twenties."

"What would be the best course of action for him, then? We can't change his genetics, nor can we travel back in time and prevent him from having poor experiences." Though if he had done what he set out to and gotten all of the children in the raid, that goal would have been accomplished.

"I don't think he should stay here. There's no medical reason for him to be hospitalized, and it's clearly causing him an enormous amount of stress. He's already recognized that he's being watched, as his little stunt with the plate proves. Do you have somewhere for him to go?"

"He's going to be rooming at the school, hopefully with my daughter Evie's best friend. But he and Jay haven't even met yet. I was hoping to have both Jay and Evie come by after school today."

"Of course. We don't want to release him if the boys aren't comfortable with each other, but we do need to figure something out."

"Let's see how this afternoon goes, and make decisions from there. I have to be in court in a few minutes, but thank you for your time, and for everything you've done for them. I know they haven't made it easy for you."

"They're not that bad." The lie was written all over his face. "I mean, things have to get better from here, right?"

How odd that he would say that. Because King Adam had just been thinking about all the ways this could get much, much, worse. Starting with throwing his innocent little girl and her best friend right into the lions den. "Yes. Things have to improve from here on out."

******

"What do you think they're like?" Evie had already asked him that at least 10 times, like Jay was supposed to magically know. He still wasn't really sure how he had gotten roped into playing nursemaid, other then Evie was his best friend and you didn't really say no to the princess. 

"I don't know. Why don't you ask your mirror?" It wasn't the real mirror, of course. The real mirror was still on the Island with the Evil Queen. But the King had commissioned a replacement that worked pretty well. Not great, but she could usually get pretty close to what she wanted if she shook it just right.

"Dad took it away after he found out Ben and I were using it to look up pictures of naked women." She said it with a saucy smile and not a hint of shame. 

"So he knows?" Why hadn't she shared that with him immediately? They shared everything else. "And why wasn't I invited to see the naked ladies?"

"Of course he doesn't know! He thought I was just being nice to Ben. Daddy can never find out, period. And I didn't invite you because it would be creepy for us to look at porn together!"

"Yeah, because doing it with your twin brother is sooooo much better. You're going to have to tell him eventually. Or do you just plan on letting him marry you off to some Prince who wants to return you after a few months because you're frigid in bed?" It was an argument they had had over and over.

"I'll make myself love whoever he chooses for me. Us girls have been doing it for centuries and now the subject is closed. Anyway, we're almost here."

'Here' was the hospital on the edge of Auradon. Jay was familiar with it, since he had been there more times then he could count. Broken bones, stitches, a concussion or two, plus that stupid tonsil thing. Between him and Aziz, everyone knew him by name there.

But they weren't going to that hospital. They were going to the smaller one next door. The creepy one that was for people who were sick in their minds instead of their bodies. Evie thought that they were keeping Carlos and Mal there just because the rooms were bigger and private, but Jay thought that she spent too much time looking on the bright side. They were keeping Carlos and Mal there because there was something wrong with them.

He wasn't sure whether he was going to like this Carlos kid or not. How could he be when no one seemed to know anything about him? All they knew for sure was that he had come with practically nothing and that he didn't talk. How did you make friend with someone you couldn't even have a conversation with?

Oh, well. It would still be better then rooming with Chad, who never shut up. Which might have still been ok, except the thing Chad liked talking about the most was himself, and that got boring really quick. Rooming with Carlos would mean a much bigger room with it's own bathroom. He guessed he could put up with a silent roommate for that.

Technically, they weren't even supposed to be here yet. Well, first they were, and then the King had passed on a message a few hours ago to wait a little bit, until he had had a chance to talk to them first. Evie had promptly ignored it, claiming that that was her father's diplomatic way of changing his mind. So they were going anyway, and she would just tell him they had missed the message.

Timidly, he reached to knock on the door, but paused before he actually touched it. This was his last chance to back out and have them find someone else for Carlos. Evie rolled her eyes at him and pounded on the door. "You're being a wimp!"

When the door opened, she gave the man her best smile. "Hi! We're here to visit with Mal and Carlos?"

He was obviously confused, but he wasn't going to argue with the Princess. "Right this way."

After 142 steps (not that Jay was counting or anything), they stopped in front of a closed door. "Ok, I'm assuming Jay will be going with Carlos? He's right in here. Keep the door closed, because he's a bolter. He doesn't talk and you may or may not be able to get him out from under the bed." He pressed a walkie-talkie into Jay's hand. "When you're ready to leave, just call us and we'll come get you."

Wait, what? Jay had thought that Carlos and Mal would be together, maybe in some sort of day room or something. That way there would some game or activity they could do to break the ice, and he would have Evie for support. He definitely hadn't imagined being locked in the room with just the two of them. "They aren't together?"

"No. It's....er....not a good idea for them to be together right now. They're a little....irritable.....with each other. Separate is best." 

What that boiled down to was that they hated each other and probably wanted to kill each other. Great. "Um....ok?"

"Don't worry, Carlos hasn't been aggressive at all. He's just scared and not the talking type. We'll be monitoring you in case you get into trouble."

Screw this, he wanted to leave right now. He had signed up to be a helper and mentor to someone who was very new to Auradon and had some speech issues. He hadn't signed up for lockdown.

But Evie was looking at him expectantly, and he couldn't bear to tell her no. So he put out his hand and took the Walkie-Talkie. "See you on the other side, E."

A second helper opened the door for him while the first walked off with Evie. He could do this. If it was that bad, he was just going to have to grow a set and tell Evie he couldn't do it. 

The room was creepy. Everything was white, and too clean, and very shiny. The bed was neatly made and there was absolutely nothing to indicate that Carlos was even in here. Maybe it was the wrong room? "Hello?"

He felt stupid as soon as he said it. What, did he think was going to happen? They had already told him that Carlos didn't talk. Ok, check under the bed and if he didn't see anyone, he was out of here. He had seen too many horror movies that started out just like this.

Jay knelt down carefully next to the bed, making sure he was far enough back that he couldn't be grabbed at. "Carlos? Hey, there."

Sure enough, his new roommate was under the bed, pressed against the far wall and staring at him like he was some sort of monster. Apparently Jay wasn't the only one afraid of getting grabbed. "So, yeah, I'm Jay, and you and I are going to be roommates as soon as you get out of here." That was it. He had no idea what else to say.

"I brought some stuff to show you, if you want to come out from under there." Not really, but he had his tablet with him. He could show Carlos pictures of the room they would share, and a little bit of campus, and maybe they could watch a few videos. Everyone liked funny cat videos, right?

Carlos didn't budge, and Jay wondered if he should back up a little. If he was nervous, he couldn't imagine how Carlos was feeling right now So he scooted back a few feet and laid down on his side, mirroring what was going on under the bed. There, he was as small and non-threatening as possible. 

If this didn't work, he had no idea what would, but he wasn't going to give up, either. He never gave up on the Tourney field, so why should he let some kid from the Island make him do it? This was going to be a challenge, but Jay loved challenges. 

Suddenly, Carlos moved, rolling out from under the bed quicker then Jay would have thought possible. He shot around the foot and pressed his back to the wall. Then he stared.

Jay stared back. Really? This was the son of Cruella deVil? The one they were saying almost took down the entire barrier, unleashing the Island on Auradon? He was fucking tiny!

He and Evie hadn't even seen pictures of the Island kids, so he hadn't been sure what to expect. Carlos sure didn't look anything like the statue of Cruella in the museum. His skin was lighter then Jay's own and he had a lot of freckles. His hair was mixed black and white and he had the sort of dark eyes that made girls swoon. And he was small. Not just short and skinny, but the sort of small and fragile looking that made you want to pick him up and cuddle him. He had on white hospital pajamas that were too big on him and only made him look younger.

But there was something about the way he looked at Jay that seemed...off. Not cute and fragile at all. It was like he was sizing Jay up, and trying to decide whether or not Jay was worthy of his time and attention. Carlos was small, but he had managed to survive 16 years on the Island of the Lost without much help. That meant there had to be more to him then was immediately obvious.

"Hey. So, like I said, I'm Jay." 

Carlos raised one hand and waved it slightly, giving Jay a silent greeting. 

"Um, can I come over and sit by you? I have some pictures of our room and stuff for you to look at on my tablet."

Another appraising look, and a quick nod. Jay made sure to move slowly and not put himself between Carlos and the bed. Curiosity got the best of him, and he had to take a subtle peek underneath it to see what was under there. A pillow, a blanket that he recognized from Evie's room, and a tangle of wires. Interesting.

Carlos was equally interested in Jay's backpack and also trying his best not to stare. Jay fished out his tablet and scrolled through the pictures. "So, this is our room. It's new to me, too, so it's not decorated or anything. But those are our beds and that door is to our bathroom. It's a pretty big room, so, you know, we can do it however. What are your favorite colors?"

Oh, right, Jay, like he's going to suddenly tell you everything. He doesn't talk to anyone else, why would he talk to you?

Carlos pushed away from the wall and walked over the bedside table, returning with a pad of paper and a pen. He flipped to a new page and wrote: Red, Black, White. 

He had really nice handwriting, far nicer the Jay's own. "Red, black, and white, ok. Got any other preferences?

*****

Carlos didn't know what to think about this Jay. He was being super nice, which made him immediately untrustworthy in Carlos' eyes. Nice people tried to trick you and were the worst in the end. 

But Jay was a kid, like him, which was confusing. He had only met one other person who was actually his age, and Mal was a raving bitch who hated him as much as he hated her. In his books, the kids were friends and they acted like Jay was acting now. Maybe Jay was normal and Carlos was the weird one?

He didn't think he liked Auradon very much. He thought that it would be like the Island, but with better food and more opportunities. It wasn't like the Island at all, and he was at a loss. 

It made sense, he supposed. Basic science. When you changed the environment, you also changed the thing you were working on. He did it all the time when he was trying to build things. More power, less power, more acidic environment, less acidic. Warmer temperature, colder temperature. 

Only the thing being experimented on was him. Carlos wasn't stupid. He had seen the people behind the mirror before he broke it, and he knew what the red dot in the ceiling was in his new room. It was a camera, and it was there to watch him. They wanted to see what he would do in this entirely new environment.

He would do exactly what any other chemical (and of course that was all he was. A bunch of chemicals held together by battered skin. That was all anyone was.) did. He would show new behaviors to make it. Unless he just exploded, which happened sometimes, too. But he wouldn't think about that.

The problem was, he had no idea what to do. He could be nice back to Jay, but it couldn't possibly be that easy, right? There had to be some variable that he wasn't accounting for.

Except everyone had been nice so far. Fairy Godmother gave him food in the limo, the best little brown circle things ever. He wished he knew what they were called, so he could find a way to get more. The guard that he had bitten hadn't done anything to him, though even Carlos would admit that he probably deserved a damn beating for biting like that. He had just been so startled to feel someone grab him that he reacted without thinking. The employees at the hospital didn't try and force him out from under the bed, and the put his food close enough that he could reach out and grab it and eat in privacy.

The only person he was unsure about was Anita. Oh, yes, he knew exactly who she was. They had been best friends, but she betrayed Cruella and was the one who got he sent to the Island in the first place. She was the one with the dogs. Lots of them. Dogs that had almost attacked and killed Cruella. She couldn't be a nice person if she kept monsters.

But...he wasn't sure. Cruella sometimes talked about Anita and got sad. Sadder then she got when she talked about missing out on her puppy-coat. Sometimes she would look at pictures of her and Anita and even cry over them. When she was in those moods, it was best to not come out of his closet-room unless he had to. The sad moods were the ones that turned mean really quickly. And Evil forbid he ever touched or looked at those pictures himself. The one time he had tried she messed him up so badly that he couldn't move his right arm for two months.

And Anita had been nice to him, too. She talked to him and tried to make him comfortable, even if he really didn't like it when she touched him. She got that and didn't try and force him. And she said that she would visit him, and he could come visit her and her husband Roger at their house, too. No one had ever invited him over before, unless he was delivering one of his projects, and they definitely didn't invite him inside. 

"Carlos? Do you care what else we do with the room? I mean, we'll each have a side and they don't have to match or anything but Evie will kill me if we don't at least coordinate a little. You'll get to meet her soon, I hope. She's really awesome." 

Carlos was listening a little, but he was way more interested in the thing that Jay was holding in his hands. It looked a little bit like a computer, which was something he had seen in pictures but never real life. But it was smaller and there was no keyboard to make things happen. All Jay had to do was touch the screen and things happened. Before he could stop himself, he reached out and lightly touched the screen.

Jay jumped and Carlos cringed back. Great, this was what he got for touching things that weren't his. But Jay didn't do anything to hurt him. "It's pretty cool, huh? Have you ever seen one before?"

Carlos shook his head and Jay moved it over a bit so it was right in between them. "Mom and Dad got it for me to do homework on, but I mostly use it to play games. Here, let me show you." His fingers tapped at one of the little squares and a game popped up. "It's a matching game. You put your finger on the candy you want to move and you switch it with the one next to it. If you get 3 together they disappear, but the more you get together the better." He swiped again and the match was made. "See?"

It was hypnotizing. He could see a ton of matches already and his fingers itched to try it himself. Jay held out the tablet. "Do you want to try it?"

No way. Carlos might not know much about things here in Auradon, but he knew that that thing had to be expensive and fragile. Jay was just going to hand it over? He took it cautiously, almost frightened by how light it was in his hands. What if it didn't work for him the way it did for Jay. But it did, and the purple candies vanished under his fingers. Jay grinned. "Good job."

They didn't talk about the room any more, but that was ok. Even if rooming with Jay was horrible, he had a cool toy that he seemed ok with letting Carlos play with. And if he decided he wasn't ok with it, Carlos would just sneak it. He did that all the time at Hell House. Maybe this wouldn't be so bad after all.

******

She could do this. She was a lady, and a princess, and now a diplomat. She would make her parents proud of her and prove that she was definitely their daughter, not just some street urchin they picked up. She tapped the door.

"Go fuck yourself." The voice was a low snarl. "I'm done working for today."

Evie startled at both the language and the tone. Not that she hadn't used both herself, but never in front of a stranger.

"You're still there. I mean it, Fairy Godmother. Leave." 

Oh, good. "It's not Fairy Godmother."

"Come in then." Just like that, she was breezy and friendly.

Evie squared her shoulders and stepped into the room. "Hi, I'm...."

He voice trailed off when she saw the girl sitting on the bed. She had angry looking scratches running down one side of her face and looked extremely uncomfortable in the white hospital pajamas. She had on no make-up and looked completely exhausted. 

Still, Evie thought that Mal was the prettiest girl she had ever seen in her life. "H-hi, I'm Evie."

Mal's lips twisted into a half smile, and Evie wondered what it would feel like to kiss them. "Oh, the Princess. Good afternoon, your Highness, please excuse me if I fail to bow." The words had a sarcastic bite to them.

"A bow isn't needed." The rest of her words stuck in her throat. None of her classes had prepared her for something like this. She couldn't ask Mal if she had found Auradon to her liking, since Mal hadn't actually seen any of it. She couldn't ask after Mal's health, because the answer was pretty obvious. "Would you prefer I call you Mal?"

The girl looked Evie over, and another strange smile appeared on her face. Evie felt as if Mal had seen right through her and knew all of her secrets. "You can call me whatever you feel like, Princess. You have all the power here."

Was she flirting? It felt like flirting and Evie was momentarily thrown. Then she caught herself. "Evie is fine. I just wondered if you had a nickname or something you would prefer to be called."

"Nope. Just Mal." She brushed her purple hair out of her eyes. "So when do I get out of this place? Because this is nothing like I was promised."

"I don't know yet. I think that it depends on how well you're doing and if you're healthy enough. Is there anything I can bring you to help make things more comfortable?" She had a feeling that Mal would want more then a blanket and pillow.

Mal leaned her head back and smiled again. "Matches. I would really like to have some matches."

The last thing she was going to get was matches. "Nice try. Anything else?"

Another quick smirk. "You can't blame a girl for trying, can you? There is something you can bring me, though. I had my diary in one of my suitcases. Would you mind bringing it to me?"

It seemed like a simple request, but something about it seemed off. This was too easy. Whatever was in that diary, it was more then just giggles about cute boys that Mal might like. "I'll see what I can do."

Mal kicked back and gave her a steady stare. "Don't fail me, Princess. Now, why don't you tell me something about yourself? Come on, I'm dying for a little feminine companionship."

******

This was almost too easy. This girl was so naive that she was playing right into Mal's hands. Her pouty smile and unsaid promises had always worked on the Island, and things weren't shaping up to be any different here on the Island. Evie was entranced and already losing her natural wariness. "What do you want me to tell you?"

Mal shrugged and looked down, the very picture of a lost little girl. "Anything. Do you have brothers and sisters? Do you have a boyfriend? What's your favorite subject in school?" All questions that would tell her quite a bit about the girl before her. 

Evie came closer, but didn't sit on the edge of the bed. Apparently at least a few of her instincts still worked. "I have a twin brother, Ben. You'll probably meet him soon."

"A twin?" As far as Mal knew, Evie had been a single child. "I thought Grimhilde had only you."

Evie flushed. "Well, I guess we aren't really twins. But we've been together since we were babies, and we don't know any different from being brother and sister. So I think of him that way."

"Oh. I was just curious." She had to tread carefully here. Slowly reminding the girl that she had another family out there, an Island family. Her blood was just as dirty and wild as Mal's own and Mal wanted to be the one to bring that out in her. But she couldn't come out and say it. No, she would carefully lead Evie to where she wanted her and let the girl make her own choices.

"Do you have any siblings?" Evie was trying to be a good little hostess and keep the conversation going. 

"No. It was just me, Mom, and Jafar. She kind of roped in into being a second parent."

Evie brightened up immediately. "Really, you know Jafar? He's my best friend Jay's other dad! What's he like?"

Before Mal could formulate an answer to that question (and really, she had never though much about Jafar before, despite being raised by him), the door came flying open and the King stomped through. "Genevieve Roerva! What are you doing here! I left word that you were to come home instead of to the hospital and you deliberately disobeyed me. Get yourself out to the car this instant. You are in big trouble, young lady."

If Maleficent had spoken to Mal that way, she would have flipped the woman off and refused to move. Evie got up without arguing and walked to the door. She paused in the doorway and waved a bit, ignoring her father's tugging arm. "Bye, Mal, it was nice to meet you."

Mal had to laugh a little. Maybe this girl had a little spark in her after all, within the confines of proper Auradon behavior. "Bye, Princess. I'll be seeing you soon."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Somebody's in trou-ble! Jay and Evie both know on some level that they're being manipulated, but danger is so, so seductive


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, this is not how I expected this chapter to turn out, especially Evie's part. But, oh well, it is what it is. Thank you to everyone who takes the time to review and give me kudos! It really does make me happy to see that.

Speak the Truth, Even if Your Voice Shakes  
Anonymous

 

"Hey Aziz?" Jay leaned in the doorway, trying to look as casual as possible. If he looked too eager, Aziz would refuse his request just to be a jerk.

"What, Bruiser?" Aziz was digging around under the bed, probably looking for his tourney stick again. Jay knew for a fact that their Mom had put it in the closet in the hallway after tripping over it last night, but he might or might not tell Aziz that. It all depended on how this went down.

"Can I have your old tablet? I'll pay you." He didn't have a whole lot, but he had enough.

Aziz poked his head and shook his hair out of his eyes. It always amazed Jay just how much the two of them looked alike. No one would look at them and think that they weren't real brothers. "Why? What did you do to yours?"

"Nothing! Mine is just fine. I wanted your old one to give to someone, that's all." 

"Aw, is my baby brother maturing and realizing that he needs to give a girl presents if he wants to keep her around? Girls don't fall for a pretty face forever. And, no, you can't have it. I'm keeping it. It deserves better then to be handed off to your flavor of the week."

Jay knew for a fact that Aziz hadn't touched that thing in months. "Mom and Dad just bought you that brand new laptop. And it's not for a girl. I wanted to give it to Carlos."

"The Island kid? He'll probably just break it." 

"He won't." Jay clearly remembered the way Carlos' entire face lit up when he first saw the tablet, the only real emotion he had shown the entire time. The gentle way he touched it, like he had been handed a precious jewel. "He's stuck in that room all alone and he has a blanket and a pad of paper. That's it. Come on, Aziz, don't be an asshole."

Aziz sat up and looked him in the eyes. "Is it weird to see Carlos? I mean, he lived the life you were going to if they hadn't taken you off that Island."

Jay hadn't thought about it like that, but he guessed it was. "Yeah, it's kind of weird. He's weird. He was hiding under the bed when I got there and it was hard to make him come out. And he doesn't talk. Like, ever." Jay didn't mention the finger shaped bruises he had seen on Carlos' arm when the oversized pajama sleeve pulled back. That seemed like more of a private thing. "Jafar might have done things to me that made me weird, too."

"You were a weird baby, since we're talking about it. Not later, but when you first came." He was serious.

"I was?" No one had told him that.

"Yeah. You never, ever cried when you first came. You could sit up by yourself, and you would just sit there and look at us, but you didn't cry. A lot of the kids didn't."

"For how long?" 

"I don't know. I was only 2. But I remember that everyone was worried, and that Fairy Godmother came and said that it was normal for the Island kids. If no one comes to get you when you cry, you quit doing it."

Was that why Carlos didn't talk? Because no one had answered? How close had Jay come to being the one under that bed?

"You can't fix him, Bruiser. He's not a baby who just needs extra cuddles to know that he world's ok. You can be a friend, and you can do your best, but the only way he's going to get better is if he wants it for himself. That doesn't mean don't try, though." Aziz opened the nightstand and handed over the tablet. "You can have it, no charge. But you owe me one, and it needs a new cord."

That was pretty much how Aziz reminded Jay that he loved him, even if he was an obnoxious little brother. Jay couldn't help but give him a hug. Just a few more weeks, and Aziz would be gone. He had been accepted into a training program and would be living at his new school. It made Jay's eyes sting a little bit. 

"Thanks." He knew Evie would have extra cords. She was super into electronic stuff and had a bunch of that stuff laying around. Somehow she had managed to turn her crown into a Wi-Fi transmitter, so they could play on their phones during particularly boring staff meetings. 

He wondered how much trouble Evie was in. Her father had been furious when he came to collect them, so angry that Carlos had taken one look and dove back under the bed for safety. 

King Adam hadn't said anything to Jay in the car, except that he was disappointed that Jay hadn't listened to him, which was enough to make Jay feel terrible. It wasn't enough, however, to make him change his plans to go visit with Carlos this afternoon. He had the tablet now, and he was going to stop and get some snacks and drinks before he went. He didn't really know what Carlos would like, but anything had to be better then hospital food.

Evie was grounded, which Ben had been nice enough to let him know through a text message last night, but there were ways around that. Ben was doing some boring king thing, so he wasn't a good excuse, but Jay knew he would leave his window unlocked. All it took was a quick climb up the trellis by the garden shed, across the roof to the library, use the gargoyles as a boost and he was in. There were magical wards on the place to keep out intruders, but Jay had long since quit being considered an intruder.

As he had suspected, she was in her room sulking. But she lit up for him, the same way she always did. "Hi, Jay."

"Hey." He sat down next to her. "Still under lock and key?"

"Yeah. Daddy keeps saying that I'm being punished for lying and being sneaky, not because I wanted to see Mal, but I think it's both. He and Mom were having a pretty loud talk about it a couple of hours ago. Are you going back today?"

"Yeah. I need a cord that will fit this tablet." He pulled it out to show her.

"No problem." She turned her back to rummage through a drawer. "What's Carlos like? Did he talk?"

"He didn't talk. He's pretty freaked out by everything, but I would be too if someone grabbed me from my life and jammed me in a new one. He really liked my tablet, so maybe he'll be into that sort of stuff like you are." Jay felt oddly protective of Carlos, even to Evie.

"That would be pretty cool. Try and get a picture for me, ok? If I have an idea of what he looks like, I'll be able to shop for him better. Do you think you could get his measurements?"

Jay thought about the way Carlos stiffened when he got too close, or how careful he was to take that tablet without actually touching Jay in any way. "I doubt it."

"Do what you can, then." She heave a gusty sigh and crossed her arms over her chest. "I wish I could go with you."

"Me too." Carlos wasn't that bad, but the hospital was still creepy as fuck. 

"Could you let Mal know that I'm thinking of her, and that I'll be back as soon as I can?"

"Sure." He couldn't risk staying too long and getting caught, so he took the cord and gave her a quick hug.

Next stop was the store, where he picked out a few different bags of chocolate, and one of gummy words, just in case Carlos didn't like chocolate. But really, who didn't like chocolate?

Since it was well past noon and he was sure that the hospital had already fed Carlos, he stopped and grabbed a hamburger for himself, taking two sodas to go. This might actually be kind of fun.

Everyone seemed surprised to see him , like they thought he wouldn't want to come back. He set everything outside Carlos' door. "Can I see Mal for a minute first? Evie can't make it today and I don't want her to be left wondering about it."

Mal was sitting on the bed, angrily flipping through a magazine. She looked up when he opened the door, almost immediately disappointed. "Who are you?"

"I'm Jay, Evie's friend. I just wanted to let you know that she couldn't come today because she's grounded."

"Whatever. I don't care." She looked him and up down. "Anything else?"

This was his type of girl. Petite and sexy, with an acid tongue and a take no prisoners attitude. Any other time and he would have made an excuse to linger and flirt. So why was he so eager to leave and get back to Carlos? "Nope. She'll be back when she can."

Carlos was back under the bed when he went in. "Hey, Dude, it's Jay again. I brought you some stuff."

No movement, so he sat down. Yesterday he had had to lie down, so today he would try sitting. Maybe tomorrow he could stand. 

It worked and Carlos emerged. He was either wearing the same pajamas from yesterday or a pair exactly like them, and he looked like he hadn't slept at all. But he waved right away and didn't dash to put his back to the wall like he had yesterday, so that was something.

Jay brought the drinks over and pulled out a bag of chocolate. "Snacks for us." He popped it open and unwrapped one, handing it over. Carlos held it uncertainly until Jay ate one himself. Only then did he eat. Once he got a taste his eyes went very wide and Jay saw the first hint of a smile. Ok, he liked peanut butter cups.

Even though he seemed happy and had eaten it quickly, Carlos didn't reach for the bag or make any gestures to ask for more. He just waited. Jay wondered what happened at home if he tried to snatch for food. So this time he handed over a big handful. "You can have as many as you want, but I have other stuff, too. Oh, and a drink. Here." He grabbed both drinks. "Have you ever had soda before?"

Carlos shook his head, never taking his eyes off of the chocolate. "It burns your mouth a little at first, but it's good, I promise." He handed over the drink. It was fun to see Carlos trying out new things, and knowing that he was the one who made that happen.

Except Carlos didn't drink. He looked at the cup, obviously confused. Then he picked at the lid. "Careful, you don't want to spill it. Leave the top on."

He immediately quit touching the lid, but didn't seem to know what else to do. He tentatively turned the drink around and around tipping it slightly. What in the world was he doing? "Just drink it. Use the-" 

When it hit him, it was with the force of a dozen Tourney balls. Carlos wasn't drinking because he didn't know how. "Have you ever seen a straw before?" He tapped it with one finger.

Another head shake, and a worried look. "Here, like this." Jay popped his own straw in and demonstrated how to use it, hoping that Carlos would get it.

He did, and gulped happily at the liquid. Jay wanted to cry. It was such a little thing, but it really wasn't. Straws were little disposable things that he had never thought twice about. They shouldn't be a luxury. Just how bad were things on that Island?

******

He fucked up. Carlos wasn't sure how, but he recognized that silence that meant something was wrong, and the thing that was wrong was always him. It wasn't his fault he didn't know what a straw was. He had seen them in pictures, but pictures didn't tell you how to use one or even what it was. For all he knew it was there to stabilize the cup. Besides, he wouldn't have spilled the drink if he took the top off. He was very careful. 

Jay was right, though, the soda was good. It wasn't so much a burn as a tickle that went up his nose and made him want to laugh. He didn't, but he wanted to. And he had finally gotten more of the disks from the limo. These were smaller then those, but they tasted the same.

"Want to try something else? I got regular chocolate bars and ones that have caramel in them. Oh, and gummy worms. They don't have any chocolate." He pulled out another bag and broke it open.

It didn't take long for Carlos to conclude that he definitely like chocolate of all types. The gummy worms were good, but they needed a lot of chewing. The chocolate just melted in your mouth. 

Between the two of them, they managed to eat almost half of the candy. Jay rolled up the bags and shot them under the bed with a wink. "In case you get hungry later. Anyway, I brought someone else for you."

Really? No one had ever brought him a gift before and Jay had already given him two. That wasn't how minions were supposed to act. They were supposed to listen to him and respond with fear and barely concealed disdain. They weren't supposed to smile and go out of their way to bring him presents. Again, he felt at a loss as to what was happening. 

Someone screamed and Jay jumped, nearly dropping his bag. "What was that?"

Carlos pointed at the door, hoping he was being clear. People screaming was nothing to him. 

"Is that Mal?" Jay looked like he didn't hear this very often.

Carlos didn't know, but he hoped so. He fiercely hated Mal, who took every possible opportunity to shove him around and torment him. Her mother practically ran the Island, and she had plenty. He had almost nothing, but she was determined to take it away. But he wasn't going to tell Jay any of that. He shrugged instead.

"Do you hear that a lot?" Now Jay was looking worried.

He shrugged again. Yeah, he had been hearing it off and on since they got here. He didn't know of she was actually suffering or just being a bitch, and he certainly wasn't going to ask. 

"Well, hopefully you can get out of here soon. They're ready to let you go as soon as we have the room set up. Or, you know, sooner. We could set it up together."

He could do that. After all, Cruella was pretty much housebound, and she liked to decorate. And by 'decorate', he meant 'make Carlos push all the furniture around while I scream and throw things at him'. So he didn't mind that, especially if it meant getting away from the people with the cameras. It would be nice not to be locked in, too. If he wanted to be locked in his room for days on end, he would have just stayed home. 

So he nodded at Jay, who smiled back. "Great. So, anyway, this is for you." He pulled out the tablet and cord. "We disabled the store, but there's already a ton of games on there, and Evie found a cord for you. Once you're out of here, you'll be able to get the internet hooked up, too."

Being given food was one thing. The orderlies brought food. Fairy Godmother brought food. Even Anita had given him food. Food was supposed to be shared. Every once in a while, Cruella even remembered that and offered him something. 

But food wasn't something like this. Carlos might not know much, but he knew that this tablet was expensive and fragile. All electronics were. Why would Jay just give it to him, and what would he want in return? 

Everything on the Island was bartered, so Carlos was familiar with the system. He make something or did a job for someone, and he was usually paid in food or clothing. Sometimes he was paid in spare parts for other projects. If he was particularly lucky, he might get access to some of the better equipment that the Island had to offer. 

There was never any written contracts, but there was an understanding. If he took the tablet from Jay, he was agreeing to the terms of the trade. But he didn't know what the terms were. So he pushed it back gently and shook his head.

Even if he did want it more desperately then he had ever wanted anything in his life.

Jay was surprised. "No? I thought you liked mine, didn't you? We had fun playing on it yesterday."

Carlos nodded, which only made Jay more confused. "They why don't you want this one? It's not as new, but the same games work, I promise."

He pushed away from the wall and slid under the bed to grab his pad of paper. Under that bed had pretty much become his world now. It was just safer there. He quickly scrawled a message for Jay. NOTHING TO TRADE

"Oh! Well, you don't have to. It's just a present." Jay was making that pity face, which was something else that Carlos was familiar with. Sometimes it was like people thought he couldn't hear just because he didn't talk. They would make that same face and talk about him, sometimes right over his head while he was still working.

"Poor thing."

"Not all there. Of course, neither is Cruella."

"Wish I could keep him."

"Crazy."

"Mute."

He learned to ignore those comments at home, because he depended on those people to survive. That didn't mean he had to put up with it here. Again, he shook his head and pushed the tablet back towards Jay.

"How about you look at it this way. Because you came, I get a bigger room with it's own bathroom. I'm getting all new stuff to decorate with, and I don't have to put up with Chad taking two hours in the bathroom every morning. I'd say I'm still getting the better end of the deal."

So Carlos himself was the trade. It was an interesting thought, but he could see the logic in it. And what did you do in a bathroom for two hours? Showers needed to be as fast as possible or you would freeze, and it only took a few minutes to take care of everything else. 

He nodded, and this time he took the tablet. Jay smiled, and it made something twist in Carlos' gut. Was that guilt? Why should he feel guilty when they had made a perfectly acceptable bargain? (Not that Carlos considered himself to be anything that great, because he wasn't. But value was in the eye of the beholder, and Jay seemed to think it was ok). What was wrong with him that he felt guilty over someone he had only met twice?

When Jay smiled at him, his gut twisted again, but in a good way. Was that even possible? Maybe the candy was making him sick. "Great! Evie wanted to get a picture of you, so she could get to shopping for some clothes. I don't get it, personally, but fashion is a big deal to her. She'll get you some stuff that's just like you came with, but better. She makes or buys all of my stuff."

Carlos looked Jay up and down and decided that he was quite interested in what this Evie could do. Jay looked good, and Carlos liked looking good. Cruella was very into fashion and she liked to dress Carlos up as well. It was one of the few times when worked with him and never got inappropriate or mean. The older he got, the less he was interested in her ideas (and her furs started to scare him a little, especially Pongo, the one that she wore around her neck and talked to. Sometimes she would even make it bark at him, which was almost as unsettling as having a real dog do it.), and the less she was interested in him, anyway.

Plus it would give him an excuse to meet Evie and check her out. It wasn't that he felt any particular attachment to Grimhilde (he had to remember that that was her name), but he was starting to realize that she had done what she could to get him here, and that she had helped a lot when he was younger. She was also the one left facing Cruella now that he was gone. 

Jay kept talking, unaware of Carlos' thoughts. "She wanted to see if I could get some measurements, too. Can I do that?"

No way. Carlos gave his head a determined shake. Jay had been nice, and even given him that tablet, but that didn't mean Carlos was going to let Jay touch him. Maybe one day. Probably not.

Luckily for him, Jay just laughed about it. "Yeah, I told her that it probably wasn't going to happen. How about you stand up for the picture, though?"

That was ok, so he stood up and pressed his back to the wall. Jay pulled out his phone. "Ok, smile!"

Carlos tried, but he was sure that it came out more like a grimace. He hadn't exactly had a lot of practice with that particular facial expression. Jay seemed satisfied, though. "Cool Now that that's done with, you want me to show you how to play a two player game on our tablets?"

This time, Carlos was pretty sure his smile was a bit more natural.

***********

Genevieve Roerva Florien was not a happy girl. No, screw that, she was not a happy woman. And like most unhappy women, her mind was spinning with ideas for getting even.

It wasn't the most mature thought, especially since she knew that her Daddy was only trying to protect her. But he was just being overprotective. Mal wouldn't hurt her. She might be willing to hurt other people (and, yes, Evie already knew that she had tried to hurt Carlos in the car on the way over. She listened at door far more often then she was caught at it), but she wouldn't do anything to harm Evie herself. She knew that as well as she knew her own name.

And she didn't even have her mirror. She had been supposed to get it back tomorrow, but she had a feeling that that wasn't going to happen for a while. She crossed her arms and sulked.

The door popped open, but she didn't even look up. Only one person would dare invade her space without knocking when she was in a mood like this. Well, two, but Jay would have used the window. "What do you want, Ben?"

He sat down next to her. "Dad is pissed off. Seriously, E, he's through the roof and stomping around growling at things. You're lucky that you're stuck up here."

Despite the situation, Evie had to admit that there was a certain romance to being banished to her room and having her meals brought to her. She was like Rapunzel, just waiting for her Prince. Ok, Princess. "I don't feel lucky. I feel bitchy."

He laughed. "So, what are they like? Everyone's talking, but you and Jay are the only one's who've actually seen them."

"I didn't see Carlos, since he and Mal hate each other, so you'd have to ask Jay. He's doing a lot of hiding under the bed, though. Mal was...different." She had to choose her words diplomatically. "She was a little sarcastic, and pretty unhappy, but she was trying to be nice. It was totally fake, but she was trying."

"Do you think that Dad's right about her being dangerous?"

She had never lied to Ben and she wasn't about to start now. "Maybe. I think she could be if she was pushed."

"Do you think Dad should have done it?" He looked down. "I pushed him into it. I think he would have been ok with leaving Carlos and Mal there. Maybe that would have been better for them."

"No." She motioned at her bed and he sat down, head in his hands. "It's hard for them right now, but it will be better in the long run. It was better for the rest of us, wasn't it? That way we'll all be safe"

He gave her a very strange look, like she had grown another head. She crossed her arms defensively. "What?"

"It's just....you've never said 'we' before. Do you really think you have anything in common with Mal and Carlos?"

Did she? "We're from the same place. Carlos and I have the same mother. So we do have something in common."

"No you don't." Now he was crossing his arms as well. "Grimhilde isn't Carlos' mother, and she isn't really your mother either. Mom is. Your other Mom gave you away. And you don't even remember being on the Island! This is your home and we're your family, not them."

Tears stung and anger bubbled, making her lash out. "I don't believe you! And I don't think my other Mom gave me up, anyway. I think Dad stole me, and I think he stole everyone else!" The words hung there between them like a sheet of ice, leaving them both frozen in horror.

Evie couldn't believe that she had just said that. Not because it wasn't true, though. She was a smart girl, and she had had suspicions about it for years. What were the odds that several dozen people on the Island all decided at the same time to give up their kids? One or two, sure. That even happened in Auradon sometimes. But all of them? 

And people talked. Sometimes Evie thought that she should be the one sitting in court rather then Ben. He was trusting and took everything at face value. She would rather sit back and observe people's body language and see what they weren't saying. Or listen in the corners or at doors, a pretty smile on her face and her ears always open. Little comments were made, if not directly to her, then in her presence that started to add up after a while.

'We did the right thing.'

'They didn't deserve them. The kids are better off here.'

'I should have taken one.'

'They'll just end up making more of the little monsters, but at least we got a few.'

Still, those doubts were easy to push aside. After all, Auradon was a good place. It was practically a scandal when Audrey and Ally were caught stealing candy and lipstick from a store when they were 11. And those were cheap trinkets. No one here would dare steal a living baby, right?

And she loved her family. Her mother was everything she could have asked for, and she idolized her Daddy. She hated the thought that they had been anything less then totally honest about where she had come from.

But her other mother's letter had clinched it, bringing all of her suspicions to the forefront again. Grimhilde said she had lost her, not that she had given her up. And the fact that she called the people from Auradon getting the kid the Great Raid? People who raid steal, they don't adopt. Besides, you don't put capital letters on something unless it was something extremely important. Evie had been taken away from a mother who wanted her. Jay had been taken from a father, and probably a mother who wanted him. Harriet, Diego, Gaston II and III, all of them were stolen goods.

"That's not true. You're just being a bitch because you lied to Dad and got in trouble for it." His jaw was clenched. "I'm going to tell him that you said that."

"Good!" She was screaming now and she didn't even care. "You know what? Let's go tell him right now. Let's ask him exactly what happened on that night, and how he managed to get so many babies at once."

"Fine." He grabbed her and roughly and she yanked it out of his grip. What was wrong with both of them? They almost never argued, and never once had he attempted to manhandle her like this. She knew that she was being irrational, and taking her own fears and worries out on her brother, but she couldn't stop. "I can walk, Ben."

Their father was in his study, and none to pleased to see them. "Evie, I told you that you were to stay in your room. Why are you disobeying me?"

Now that she was looking right at him, she couldn't say it. She might have some nasty suspicions, and she might be angry with him right now, but she loved her father deeply. She didn't want to hurt him. So she looked down instead. "I...."

Ben, of course, had to blab. "Evie says that you didn't adopt her from her mother. She says that you stole her and that you stole everyone else, too. Tell her that that's not true."

Her father's face froze, and his eyes told her everything that she needed to know. It was true, he had done exactly what she was accusing him of. Her father, the man she loved best in the entire world, was no better then anyone he had banished to the Island.

Ben saw it, too. "Dad?" It came out hoarse and cracking.

"Ben, why don't you go get your mother. I think we need to have a family discussion."

He ran off, leaving Evie and her father (was he even her father now? She had no idea what to think) staring at each other. He suddenly looked very old, and heartbroken. She couldn't stand it. "I still love you, Daddy." Because she did. Nothing could destroy that love so quickly.

Ben came back with her mother, who already had tears in her eyes. "Let's sit down and talk about this."

It had already gone too far, but she couldn't stop now. "Did you steal me from my mother?"

"Yes." One word, and the very fabric of their family tore. 

"Did you steal everyone? Except for Carlos and Mal, I mean. They got a choice."

"The rest of you were too young to make one, and, yes, we took everyone without asking. So we stole you."

She made no effort to keep the tears back. "Why?"

"Take a look at Carlos and Mal and that ought to tell you why. He's going to spend the rest of his life hiding under a bed and she's meaner then her mother was." Ben jumped to their father's defense. "You should be grateful."

"Ben, enough." Her father's voice was strong, that of the king instead of their parent. "Evie has every right to ask these questions, and this is something we should have talked about years ago."

He turned back to her. "I did it because I thought it was the right thing to do. I looked at Ben, and thought about everything he had, and how loved he was, and I wanted all of them to have the same thing. I was worried that they would be neglected or abused, and that we wouldn't have the manpower to monitor them appropriately. So I made the choice to move before any of that could happen."

"But...." It was too much and she didn't know what to say. Her mother had wanted her, and would have tried to provide for her. But would it have been enough?

Ben was rude, but he was right. Carlos and Mal had both suffered horribly, and it showed in their behavior now. Was it because they grew up on the Island, or because of who their parents were? 

"Why did you keep me? Why not take one of the other kids?" 

Her mother spoke. "We didn't choose. I asked for a little girl, because I wanted to have one, and the fairies brought you right to me. You were the prettiest little girl we had ever seen, and we loved you so much, right from the start."

She didn't doubt it. Her parents had never once given her even the smallest inkling that she was less loved then Ben, or favored him over her. As far as she knew, none of the parents of the Island kids had. "I know. I just...I don't' get why you did it. If the Island was too terrible for kids, it's too terrible for adults, too. Why not try to fix the Island for everyone, instead of just taking the kids away and letting it fall to crap. In 9 months, you have more kids, and you're right back in the same position." 

He shook his head. "I know. When we first created the Island...." He trailed off to think for a minute. "You have to understand, it was a different time. Auradon didn't even exist then. It was just a bunch of smaller cities and towns, each with their own rulers and customs and government. And the villains knew that. They knew that we were weak, and that was what gave them a chance to get in and perpetuate their evil. We created Auradon to have a central force for good, to be able to fight back."

She knew this already. She had sat through this lesson year after year, both in school and at home. But it was different now. Before it had applied to her in only a vague way. She knew that her mother was there on the Island, but she had been able to push that aside and just focus on the side of her that was an typical Auradon girl. That had been easy when she was little, but harder now that she was a teenager. She was realizing more and more that her genetics mattered. As much as she loved her life and family here, she had lost something when they took her. Who would she have been if she had been left behind, and who was she now? "And you won."

"And we won." He nodded again, looking distant. "So we had all of these villains, and no idea what to do with them. There weren't enough prisons, and most of them had proven they could escape them any way. Hanging? The death penalty? No one could stomach it. So we created the Island. It kept Auradon safe."

"It made you feel better. You couldn't stomach the death penalty, so you just put them away where they could die slowly instead. How often is anyone actually checking on the people there? Not just making sure that no one is trying to put holes in the barrier or set the place on fire, but actually checking on them as individuals. People die and babies are born. Do we even know how many people are on the Island? Or do we just send over some scraps and hope its enough? Because Carlos doesn't act like he's seen much food in his life. Did anyone think that more people needed more to eat?"

A part of her couldn't believe her own daring. If she had been asked an hour, or even 15 minutes ago, she would have sworn that she would never talk back to her father like this. It made her feel bad, but strong at the same time. Maybe this was what growing up was. Either way, she liked it. For the first time, she understood why Ben enjoyed debating in court.

"You're right." Her father put out a hand, and she couldn't help but go to him. "We did the wrong thing, though with the best of intentions. We did watch them closely for a while, and it seemed to be going as well as the circumstances allowed. Then we just sort of...stopped. We kept an eye on them, but, really, anything could have been happening there."

She wanted to cry, and she wanted to run and she wished she had never opened her big mouth to Ben in the first place. But she would be strong and see this through to the end like her mother. An idea began to form in the back of her mind, and she realized she could be cunning like her other mother as well. She would be the best of both of them. "So you saved a few and condemned the rest. Every man, woman, and child."

"In hindsight? Yes. At this point, though, I don't know what a viable solution would be. Segregation failed. Taking the children failed. I can't even imagine attempting to integrate the villains back into society after 20 years. What does that leave?"

Nothing. They had backed themselves into a corner, and were left with no solutions. But her father seemed to be waiting for one. "I don't know."

He turned to Ben. "Ben? A suggestion?"

"No." He kept looking at Evie, his face pleading. Were they still brother and sister? Still twins? Or did she hate them all?

"Son, this is part of being the King. You have the final say on decisions, and, in the end, you're the one who will pay the price for them. When I first created the Island, I was the hero. When I took the children, I was the hero. Now, 16 years later, I'm a monster. This is the legacy of the crown, and one you'll inherit one day."

She couldn't bear to let him think that way. "I don't think that you're a monster.   
I think you did the wrong thing, but for the right reasons." She was still hurt and angry, but intentions had to matter, didn't they?

He held out his arms and she ran to him, hugging him as tightly as she could. She would forgive him eventually, and love him always. 

Then she drew back. "I'm going to go see Mal tomorrow, and none of you are going to try and stop me. You owe me."

She had her parents in a bind and they knew it. Her father nodded. "Alright, Evie. I want you to be careful, but I'm not going to stop you."

Evie knew that she could have pushed her advantage and gotten more, but she didn't need to. She had gotten Mal, and now she just wanted to be alone to nurse her broken heart for a while. "I want to go back to bed now."

Her mother started to stand up and accompany her, but Evie shook her head. She loved her family dearly, but she couldn't stand to look at any of them right now.

Maybe things would be better tomorrow.

******

The flame was tiny. Too tiny. Actually, even calling it a flame was a bit of a stretch. The thing between her fingertips was really more of a spark. Mal closed her fist, and it disappeared in a thin thread of smoke.

But she had done it, and she had done it with no help or supervision. She was having to work harder then she ever had, but it was already paying off. Soon she would be stronger then the Fairy Godmother, and stronger then her mother as well. Then both of them could go fuck themselves, because Mal was keeping Auradon for herself. When she was running the place, she wouldn't have to worry about being some breeding cow for a Prince. They would all be her pigs instead.

Truth be told, though, it was getting a little boring in here. The Princess hadn't come by yesterday, and Mal had zero use for the boy who had. He was on the deVil beast's side, and thus was an enemy to Mal. Carlos. His name was Carlos. She wasn't quite sure what to do with that information, but she kept it tucked away in case it was needed. Boring, boring, boring.

And she still didn't have her spell book. The Princess was supposed to bring it, but who knew when she would come back, if ever. It would be a disappointment if she didn't, since Mal saw a lot of potential in that girl. The Evil Queen was powerful, even Maleficent admitted that, and there was a good chance that Evie had inherited at least some of that power.

There was a knock at the door, and she immediately straightened her back. It could be anyone, and she was determined to appear as nothing less then in perfect control at all times. It was bad enough that people had seen her have a meltdown in the limo on the way over. Worse that Carlos had seen it. 

It was just an orderly, and one that Mal had already scared before. People in Auradon were such wimps! All it took was a steady glare and a nasty word and they couldn't get out of there fast enough. If she could make her eyes glow a bit, it happened even faster. Sure enough, the woman quelled beneath Mal's stare. "I-is there anything I can get you."

"Why, yes. I would prefer not to be imprisoned in my room while still being claimed as a citizen of Auradon. So a key to my door and a map of this hellhole and I'll be on my way."

"You know that I can't do that. But you should be out of here soon. I mean, they're letting Carlos go tomorrow. So it shouldn't be too long."

Wait, they were letting Carlos go? Why were they letting him go before her? "What!" Her eyes flashed again and a thin bit of smoke curled out of her fingertips. To woman took the hint and left with as much haste as possible. Moron.

Angrily she pounded on the wall that separated her from Carlos. It wouldn't be loud, but she knew that he could hear it and would be freaked out. Good. He needed to be kept a little off balance.

If she were willing to acknowledge him beyond trying to torment him, she might have asked Carlos how he had managed to get himself sprung so quickly. Not that he would tell her, but she would have at least asked. Or demanded.

More time passed, and she wished that she had at least thought to ask for something to read. They had brought books, along with some toys that even a toddler wouldn't want to play with, but those had been taken away when she attempted to hit a visitor with one. That had been foolish. Not only did it make her look aggressive when she was trying to be a good girl, but now she had nothing to read. Shit.

She was still sulking when someone else knocked. Oh for the love of evil. If no one was going to get her out of here, they could at least leave her alone. But it was a distraction from looking at the walls. "Come in."

Evie stepped in and gave her a shy smile. "Hi, Mal."

Well, well, well, look at that. The Princess was back. "Hi, there, Princess. Out defying Daddy to come slum with me?" 

She was surprised at the surge of pleasure that she felt about that. If the Princess never came back, they would have still sent others. Auradon prided itself on being do-gooders, and they wouldn't just let her rot in this white room for the rest of her life. And she had the Fairy Godmother to provide her a direct link to the wand, so she wouldn't need the Princess for that either.

"Daddy knows where I am, and he's agreeable to it." The words themselves were normal, but there was a tension in her voice that told Mal it had been a hard won victory.

"Really. So, why are you here?" She tried to sound as if she didn't care, and felt that she was at least partially successful.

"To come visit you, of course. I thought you might be sort of lonely."   
"Princess, I was born lonely. Though as long as we're having a talk, would you mind telling me why Carlos gets to leave this place and I'm still being held captive? If there's anyone who should be being closely monitored, it's him."

"They're letting Carlos go because he's going to be moving in with my friend Jay. When they find a roommate for you, they'll let you go, too." Evie was trying to make it sound like an easy task, when Mal was pretty sure that no on in their right mind wanted to room with her.

That was when the idea popped into her head. "Why couldn't I room with you? You're the only person who's been nice to me so far."

Evie gave her a quick look, and Mal realized she had probably laid it on a bit thick. "Ok, fine, you're the only person my age that I've actually met. But you have been pretty cool to me."

"That wouldn't work because I don't live on campus. I still live at home and walk over. But I'm trying to find someone for you, I promise."

Oh, for Evil's sake. No wonder she was so sheltered, she was still living down the hall from Mommy and Daddy. "Why? Move out of that castle and in with me. Think of all the fun we could have together, just the two of us." She let her voice drop just a tiny bit at the end. Not enough that she could be called on it, but just enough to leave her intentions unclear. Was she flirting with Evie? Suggesting there could be something between them? Because, unless she was missing her signals, Evie was interested. Or was she just thinking about slumber parties and doing homework together? It could go either way.

To her surprise, Evie actually seemed to be considering it. "I don't know. I've never been away from home like that before."

"Come on, Princess. I'm a lot further from home then you'll ever be. Live a little. Break away and be wild for a change." Mal continued to coax gently. "Come on, are you going to spend the rest of your life locked up in a tower? We'll do it together."

"Let me think about it, ok?" Evie was getting a little unsettled and Mal knew that it was time to back off. 

"Sure, sure. So, what are we going to get up to today? I'm assuming we're going to have more time then we did before? No father stomping in to drag his precious baby girl away?"

"No. I already told you that he knows where I am." Evie reached into her purse and rummaged around. "I brought something for you."

It was her mother's spell book. And now it was Mal's spell book. She reached out for it, but Evie pulled it back. "What is it?"

"I told you, it's my diary, and I have plenty to write in it after the past few days." Mal heard the bite in her voice and forced herself to calm down. No need to act suspicious.

"No it isn't." Evie held the book to her chest, her eyes locked on Mal's. "No one gets this revved up over a diary. So tell me, Mal. What type of book is this really?"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ha! Evie's got Mal's number, doesn't she?


	8. Chapter 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So this chapter got overly long and I decided to split it into two. Jay and Evie got to talk this time, Mal and Carlos will next time.

I Prefer Dangerous Freedom over Peaceful Slavery  
Thomas Jefferson

The look of shock on Mal's face was hysterical. What, did she think that Evie was too stupid and naive to know when she was being played? Then Mal's face relaxed. "Of course it's my diary. I'm 'revved up' as you so elegantly put it, because I don't want my private thoughts being read by every person in Auradon. But if you don't believe me, go ahead and take a look." She made a sweeping gesture with her hand.

Evie flipped it open and skimmed over a few pages. They did appear to be diary pages. Cute boys, she hated her mother, what she had done that day. It all seemed to be quite normal. 

But she still didn't buy it. When she held the diary, she got the same feeling as when she held her magic mirror. It was a vibration that seemed to flow directly into her own body. 

Plus, and she hated to sound snobby, this was a really nice book. Fancy leather and thick pages. Her own father wouldn't buy her something this nice for a disposable diary, and she was sure that it would be even more precious on the Island. There was no way this was what it appeared to be.

It was clearly something magical, and something that Mal knew she wasn't supposed to have. A communication device? But without magic on the Island, how would Maleficent get the calls? No, that didn't work. So that only left... "It's a spell book, isn't it?" She shook the book sharply. "Show yourself." Maybe her mothers magic would be enough to make it appear.

It didn't exactly do that, but there was a brief shimmer over the book, as if she had somehow disrupted the glamour. "I knew it."

She expected Mal to get upset, and maybe even kick her out of the room, but that didn't' happen. Mal just smirked at her instead. "You know, Princess, I like you. You're not afraid of the big bad wolf."

"No, I'm not." Which might be the most foolish thing she had ever done in her life, but Evie didn't care. She was making her own choices and mistakes, and it was strangely exhilarating. "You know that you can't use this."

"And why not? I brought its with me and it's my property. Or are you going to snitch on me? Is that it, Princess? You're going to narc?"

Evie had never heard the term before, but she guessed that narcing was the same as tattling. "No, I'm not. But I'm not going to just give this to you either. Besides, you don't have the power to use it." She kept her voice calm and rational. 

"Yet." The word was grumbled under Mal's breath, but Evie heard it anyway. "So what are you going to do with it?"

"Just put it away for now. I like this place and I don't want you to blow it up. I would also prefer that you not set fire to or freeze our dorm room. You have no idea what that would do to my make-up." She smiled a little and waited for Mal to catch up to her.

It only took a few seconds. "Our dorm room? So you decided to come take a walk on the wild side?"

"Yes. I think that it's important that I spend time with everyone here instead of being separated in the castle all the time. Besides, you needed a room mate, and here I am."

She was making it sound far easier then it had actually been. Neither parent had attempted to forbid her, but they had both been hurt, Ben even more so. Now that he was assuming more and more responsibility for the kingdom, sometimes the only time they saw each other was at home, right before bed. Now they wouldn't even have that.

It had been hard to make him understand that wasn't him. It had been even harder to make her parents understand that this had nothing (ok, almost nothing) to do with the truth that had come out about how she had joined the family. She wanted a chance to be something other then the princess. Or at least something more. Was she Princess Evie or Evie from the Isle of the Lost? Or was she both? She didn't know, and she would never find out if she didn't get herself a little independence.

"Kind of a downgrade from the palace." Mal leaned back and crossed her arms over her chest. 

That didn't seem like the sort of comment that she should reply to, so Evie brushed the thought aside. Talking to Mal was a bit like stepping around quicksand. There was a method to the madness, but she was sure she would misstep and be sucked in eventually. "Anyway, you just have to focus on getting better so Fairy Godmother will want to release you. I'll see about getting a room set up for us."

"You know I'll figure out where you've hidden my spell book. Then what keeps me from turning it on you?"

She wasn't going to be intimidated. "I guess I better hope that you like me a lot better by the time you find it, then."

Mal gave her that half smile/half smirk that she was so very good at. "That would be wise."

"So, I thought we could maybe look at getting our room decorated for when they release you. Did you draw the dragons on your suitcase? Because those were amazing."

A little shameless flattery never hurt anyone, and, sure enough, Mall puffed a bit. "Yes. I do all of my own artwork and stunts."

"Well I love it. Maybe I can talk them into letting you go wild on our walls." She was a little worried about telling Mal she had free reign, but the worst that could happen was that she had to sleep in an ugly room for a while. It wasn't like Mal could do too much damage with paint, right?

When Mal smiled this time, it was less of a smirk and much more natural. "That would be...alright, I guess."

But her eyes said differently. Her eyes said that she very badly wanted a chance to paint and show off her work. So why not just say that? What had been said or done to her that Mal felt like she couldn't express joy in anything?

"I can't promise, but I can try. You need to try to get out of here. They aren't going to hold any of the really good rooms for long, and Jay and Carlos already got one of them." That was a bit of a lie, since there were plenty of rooms, but if Mal thought that she was in competition with someone, especially Carlos, she would be more likely to work hard.

Sure enough, her lip curled and her eyes went narrow. "I'll be out by the end of the week. Are we going to be in the same dorm as those two?"

Unfortunately, yes. There was only one building on campus that had the sort of suites that they needed, and therefore it was the only building with mixed genders. "Yes, we will. I would really like it if you and Carlos would at least make an effort to tolerate each other. Jay is my best friend, and it would be nice if the four of us could hang out."

"Tell him to keep his hands to himself and leave me alone, and I promise to do the same for him. I will...tolerate...his presence." The word was spit out like it was physically painful for her to say it.

"I appreciate it. Jay will have the same talk with Carlos, and I'm sure he'll agree to leave you be if asked."

Mal snorted. "Good luck with that. You do know that he's as crazy as his mother, right? Don't let that sweet, shy, little boy act fool you."

Unknowingly, she had just provided Evie a chance to ask a few questions without being obvious. "What do you mean? Jay says he seems ok, except he doesn't talk. He really never has?"

"Nope." Mal shook her head, seemingly disinterested. "Never. Not even to his own mother." She seemed to think about it, and smirked. "Or your mother either. Completely mute."

"Do you think he can't do it, or he can and is refusing?" Maybe Carlos was just fearful of strangers. 

"Don't know, don't care. I'll admit that he has more brains then I originally thought, but I don't think they those brains are wired right. Plus, he's fucking mean."

If she wanted to hang out with Mal (and she did. Goodness she did), Evie figured she better get used to the potty mouth. The pictures Jay had sent revealed a shy looking and obviously very scared kid who looked younger then them. Mean wasn't exactly the word that came to mind.

Then again 'baby snatcher' wasn't the word she would have thought of with her father, either. "Why?"

Mal pulled back her sleeve to reveal a scar on her arm. "He got me with a knife."

"Why?" Evie didn't want to sound accusing, but it did worry her. "I mean, did he just charge you out of nowhere."

"Of course not. I was trying to get him as well. I think I did. Hopefully."

Did Carlos hate Mal as much as she obviously hated him? If they had not only been fighting, but doing it with weapons, thing were far worse then she had originally thought. "I wish the two of you could get along. It would be nice if you could help each other out, since you're going through a lot of the same stuff."

"I know, I know. I already said that I would try and be nice to him. What else do you want?" She sounded sweet as pie.

Again, Evie felt that Mal was willing to say whatever she had to to get out of this room. Evie didn't buy the repentant good girl act for a second. Mal had a plan and it was nothing good. Her stunt with the spell book proved that.

So why wasn't Evie ratting her out? It would be the right thing to do. Beyond that, it would be the good thing to do. It was what was expected of the Princess.

But Evie was tired of doing the good and right thing. She had done the right thing her entire life, and look where it had gotten her. She didn't even know who she was any more. If there was even the smallest chance that Mal could help her with that, she was going to take it. She wouldn't let Mal turn her into something she wasn't, but what if, deep down, she really was and Island girl, and was bad at heart?  
**************

 

"You're sure about this, Jay? 100% sure? Because there is no going back. This is what you want. Not what Evie wants, but what you want." Fairy Godmother was giving him that look that she always gave him when she was trying to figure out if he was lying. And Jay would definitely be lying if he tried to say he didn't see that look a lot.

He nodded. "I'm 100% sure. I really want Carlos to come and be my roommate. We're cool together. We're buds." At least he thought they were buds. Carlos had been standing by the bed instead of underneath it yesterday and had seemed happy to see Jay. The orderly had told him that Carlos had been restless all day, watching the door and seeming to be waiting for something. Hopefully what he was waiting for was Jay.

"Alright. I've approved your rooming with Carlos, but I want you to make sure that you're keeping up with your own schoolwork and Tourney practice. You need to worry about yourself as well as him."

"I will." Jay was never really sure what to say to Fairy Godmother. She was nice and all, but not the sort of woman you really talked to, you know? "I'm ready for him to move in any time."

"That's noted, and we're going to try and move him in after curfew tonight. I don't think that he's ready to face everyone just yet. We're going to have him evaluated academically tomorrow and go from there."

Jay didn't think that that was very fair. He might not know that much about Carlos, but he already knew that he didn't take change well. If he would barely even come out from under the bed for anyone but Jay after being in the hospital for several days, what made them think he was going to test well for a stranger right after he had been moved again. 

But who really cared? Did it matter what grade level Carlos was if he never talked and wouldn't even leave their dorm room? Jay already knew that Carlos could write, which meant he could probably read, too. He had handled the tablet carefully and had been tapping at the apps carefully when Jay left. He was smart, Jay was sure of it. So he would catch up academically. "Oh. Ok. I get to come help him move, right?"

"Yes. He seems to like you a lot." Her eyes were probing him, trying to figure out what Jay had done that she couldn't.

"Cool." May I be excused, then? Evie and I want to get the room set up for him." 

"You may. Good luck with everything." She sounded way too formal.

Evie was waiting for him outside. "Ready?" She was practically bouncing with excitement. 

"Ready." He was kind of excited to get things set up, but he knew Evie, and she was going to go absolutely crazy with the decorating. Maybe it was a girl thing.

She wound her arm through his. "I thought that I would order us some pizzas for dinner. How does that sound."

And it was starting already. "We're not going to be done by dinner? You do realize that we're just in a double with a bathroom, right? We're not in one of the huge rooms."

"No, you guys got a huge room. Right now, Daddy feels so bad about everything that he would give Carlos and Mal whatever they want. And since Carlos won't tell anyone what he wants, he's just getting the best of everything and we're hoping something works." She gave him her patented sad look, which he fell for every time. "I just want things to be extra nice for Carlos. He's probably never had anyone do anything special like this just for him."

Damn. She was right and now Jay felt bad and wouldn't be able to say anything about it. "Fine. But lets not go overboard, ok?"

"Of course not." She smiled at him, and he knew that they would probably still be working when it was time to go pick Carlos up.

The room had come with standard furniture, but Jay had dug his heels in and insisted on a half loft bed for Carlos. It was about chest height, which would give Carlos plenty of room to hide underneath if he wanted to. He had even gotten an extra set of sheets so that he could put one on the top part and pull it down like a canopy for privacy. If he decided he wanted to sleep up top like a normal person, it would be a simple matter to lift the mattress up. It didn't really match the other furniture, but he was sure that Carlos didn't care. 

Jay's had brought his own stuff over last night, but it was all still in boxes. Evie was sure to have a plan for it, and he didn't want to get in her way. He had to admit, this room was way cooler then the thought it would be. Big windows with a bench you could sit in, lots of space, bathroom with a shower and tub. This was pretty nice.

Evie pointed at a box. "Bedding is in there, if you want to make the mattress up for him. I bought some new stuff for you, too. " She busied herself in setting up a desk for Carlos, with all black, red, and white supplies. Jay had to admit, it looked pretty neat.

He made up both beds and busied himself setting up his stuff. He had never thought of himself as having much, but, compared to Carlos, he realized that he had a lot of crap. 

"Hey, Jay?" Evie's voice was timid, and it made him look up in surprise. She wasn't looking at him, though. "If you knew something terrible about someone, but they didn't know it, would you tell them?"

Uh-oh. "I don't know. I don't really like secrets, so I guess I would probably tell them. Why? Who do you have the dirt on?" It wasn't like Jay was above a little gossip when it came right down to it. 

"I....can you help me hang this thing?" She gestured at a giant poster that she was trying to unroll. 

"Sure." Jay knew Evie well enough to know that she wasn't trying to put him off. She just needed a few minutes to sort things out in her own head before she was able to tell someone else.

The poster was huge, at least 3 feet wide and 4 feet long and was a detailed rendering of the periodic table. "Does he even like science?"

"My....um....my mother said he did. My other mother. Grimhilde, not Belle."

That was new. Jay had never heard Evie call Belle by her first name before. Or Grimhilde, for that matter. She always called them 'Mom' and 'My other Mom.'. "Oh. I guess she would know. It sounds like she did her best with him."

"Yeah." The word was clipped, and he took the hint to shut up.

They hung the poster carefully, with Evie taking special care to make sure it was perfectly straight. She waited until she was fastening the last corner to the wall before she spoke. "It's you. I know a secret about you."

About him? Really? Jay ran through things in his mind, but couldn't think of anything. He was actually pretty boring when you came right down to it. "Me?"

She nodded. "I don't want you to hate me when I tell you." Her fingers found his, winding their hands together. "Promise me you won't."

"Of course not." Evie was his best girl, and he could never hate her in a million years. 

"They took us." Her voice was low and miserable. "Off the Island, I mean. Our parents didn't give us up for adoption, the people from Auradon just went in and stole us."

"Ok." That didn't make any sense. The fact that ethics hadn't come into play with their adoptions wasn't a surprise to anyone. It was kind of an open secret on the Island. Was this some weird girl midlife crisis? "And?"

She looked shocked. "Doesn't that bother you?"

Did it? "Sometimes." It was the most honest answer he could give. His parents had been honest about his adoption, even when he was too small to really understand. With his dark skin and black hair, Jay looked like he could easily be their own child, and Aziz his actual brother. 

As he got older, he learned more and more. At seven or eight, his mother held him and gently explained that they hadn't asked permission to have him. That they had done a very bad thing to get him, but that is wasn't his fault. They had thought they were doing a good thing, and they loved him very much, as much as they loved Aziz. Jay had been confused and angry, and both parents accepted that anger. 

It was only after that day that the talks about his original family become more serious. No one knew about his mother. Nothing, not even her name. She could have been just as awesome as Jasmine, or just as mean as Cruella and Jay wouldn't have known the difference. Since Auradon had virtually no access to the Island's actual residents, he just had to accept that he might never know. 

There was plenty of information on Jafar, though, and none of it good. While Jay understood that King Adam and the rest of the royals had done a bad thing by stealing them, he still couldn't help but feel like he had been done a favor. Jafar was a killer, and who knew what he might have done to Jay? And image of Carlos, bruised and scared, unwilling to be touched or comforted burned into his brain. That could have (would have?) been him.

Evie was staring at him, still confused. "Sometimes? What do you....." Her voice trailed off and horror dawned in her eyes. "You knew. Really, Jay? You already knew about this."

"You didn't?" His breath caught. She had to have known, right? No one would try and keep this a secret for sixteen years.

"No. No one told me." She blinked hard, her jaw clenching. "They lied. Every Christmas, every holiday, every birthday, they looked at me and lied. Ben, too. We're their kids, and the told us the worst lie in the world."

Jay had no idea what to do or say. His head was spinning and he was pretty sure that he had never felt so bad in his life.

Then Evie started to cry and he realized you can always feel worse. There weren't really words, so he just wrapped his arms around her and hoped that his body could say what his mouth couldn't. 

"It should have been different." That was the only thing she said, and Jay couldn't have agreed more. But wasn't that always how it was? The people on the Island should have been helped instead of ignored. Carlos and Mal should have been taken with the rest of them. Everyone should have been honest from the very first moment. Too late for all of that now.

Evie might have been overwhelmed, but she pulled herself back together quickly, giving him a tight squeeze and a kiss on the cheek. "Don't lie to me Jay. Ever. Ok? Promise me that we won't do that to each other."

That was easy to promise. "Of course."

She wiped her eyes. "Ok. Let's finish getting this room set up."

Instead of talking, she turned on the radio and they both sang along, making beds and setting up desks. Jay had textbooks, while Carlos had nothing yet. Once his testing was complete, they would get the appropriate books. 

He and Evie had been best friends since kindergarten, so the silence between them didn't feel awkward at all. In fact, it was so comfortable that he jumped when she spoke up. "Ok, what do you think?"

She was unpacking the clothing that she had found for Carlos. Everything was black, white, and red, and it all seemed punkish and grungy. She laid a few outfits out on the bed. "He brought this one from home, and these two are ones that I made. I think the style's pretty close, right?"

Uhhh....maybe? They looked close enough to Jay, but he had never quit figured out the difference between colors like white and eggshell and ecru and bone, even though Evie rolled her eyes and insisted it was there. "I think your outfits look great."

They really did. The ones she had made were of an obviously higher quality, but, other then that, all three looked like they could have been purchased together. "I think he'll really like them."

She flushed a bit. "Thanks. I bought the pajamas and socks and Ben did the, you know, underwear and stuff. It was kind of hard, since he couldn't tell me what he wanted. He didn't have any long pants, but I don't know if he doesn't like them, or he gets too hot, or he just didn't have any with him. I used what he brought to guess on sizes, so I hope I'm close."

"He's kind of small." Jay helplessly held out his hands, trying to show her height. "Not, like, super small, though. He's probably close to your height."

"I can take them in or let them out if I need to." She folded the outfits back up and set them on the dresser. "I want him to be happy here. Do you think he is?"

It was a good question. No, Jay didn't think that Carlos was happy here in Auradon. But he didn't think that Carlos had been happy on the Island either. Maybe he didn't know how to be.

But it wasn't too late, right? Carlos was only 16 years old, the same age as Jay. He couldn't be ruined yet. Besides, he was already starting to relax, and Jay had even seen him smile a little bit. It was just too soon to tell. "Not yet. But it's only been a few days."

"We can help him. Mal, too." She leaned under Carlos' bed to affix a reading light to the slats. "She already said that she would make an effort to be nice to Carlos, so the four of us can hang out. Do you think you could ask Carlos for the same thing?"

"Sure." He really didn't think that Carlos would bother Mal, anyway. From what everyone had been able to piece together, most of their fights were over food, and that wasn't going to be an issue here. It might take a few days, maybe a week or two, but they would realize that they would always have enough. "I'll talk to him."

They were just putting the finishing touches together when Fairy Godmother knocked on the door. "Are the two of you ready?"

Jay looked around the room, checking for anything that was out of place. It looked good. The sides were very different, with Jay's being full of Tourney gear and Carlos' oriented more towards science and learning, but Evie had managed to pull them together in a really neat way. 

"I think so." Evie tugged on Jay's sleeve. "You think he'll be ok with me coming along? I'd really like to meet him."

"Yeah, it'll be fine." Jay wasn't really sure that it would, but Carlos knew him, and he knew Fairy Godmother, so it wasn't like Carlos was going to be faced with bunch of strangers. He needed to know and get used to Evie as well. 

The car ride was quiet. Fairy Godmother spoke to both of them, asking about what was going on with school and sports, and they answered robotically. Everyone was nervous. If Carlos bolted (and Jay had heard all about him trying it before), they might not catch him in the dark. He had brought some Peanut Butter Cups, which he perceived as Carlos' favorite, to use as a bribe. He just had to remember that if they were nervous, Carlos was a million times more so. That hospital room sucked, but it was at least a familiar place. Once he left it, that was it. His brand new dorm room with all the cool stuff was as alien to him as the darkest alleyway in the middle of Auradon City. With no speech and his ability to survive with no adult help, their chances of getting him back were slim.

Jay made sure that he was the first one to walk into the room. Carlos was sitting on the bed, a small bag next to him. When he saw Jay the corners of his mouth quirked up in a 'blink and you'll miss it' sort of smile. But it was something. "Hey, Dude. You ready?"

Carlos gave quick nod and hopped off the bed. He appeared fairly relaxed, but Jay was getting quite familiar with his movements, and he noticed that Carlos remained on the balls of his feet, his eyes darting back to the hallway. He didn't move towards Jay like he usually did. He just waited, eyes fixed. Clearly he either heard or sensed Evie and Fairy Godmother. 

"There's someone I want you to meet. Remember my friend Evie that I told you about? She brought you that blanket? Well she's here and she wants to say hi." He looked back towards the door. Carlos hadn't indicated that he didn't want her around, so he was going to try this.

He had spent enough time here to recognize Carlos' usual reaction to meeting strangers. He would tip his head away and down, peering at them out of the corner of his eye. Then he waited, expressionless. Usually the effect was disconcerting enough that the other person backed off. Between his oddness and Mal's aggression, it was a wonder that any of the staff would deal with them at all.

None of that happened with Evie. When she stepped tentatively into the room, Carlos stared at her, making steady eye contact. A sudden tension hummed through his body, and Jay would have given anything to know what he was thinking. 

Evie smiled at Carlos, and he shocked Jay again by smiling gently back. "Hello, Carlos, I'm Evie." 

He raised one hand, flipping it slowly until his palm was up. He didn't hold it out as if asking for a handshake, but it was an unmistakable greeting. It made Jay burn with sudden jealousy. Why was Carlos so friendly to Evie, when it had taken Jay himself forever to get him out from under his bed?

Of course, Evie was a gorgeous girl and a princess to boot, while Jay was just Jay. Was it any surprise that Carlos was captivated? Besides Mal, he had probably never even seen a girl his own age before. And why did that make him feel more jealous instead of less? He had to bite down on an urge to snap at Carlos that his chances with Evie were less then zero, unless he had some hidden ability to swap genders.

A closer look, though, told him that Carlos wasn't nearly as comfortable as he first seemed. He was still up on his toes and he kept looking over at Jay, as if asking a silent question.

Even though he had no idea what that question might be, it did make him feel good that Carlos trusted him, and knew to look to him for cues. 

Ever the diplomat, Evie sensed what was wrong and eased back a few steps. She had started out a few feet away, but obviously Carlos felt like his personal space was being invaded. "Are you ready to come and see your new room?"

He nodded, and gave her another, unreadable, look. Either he was the worst flirt in the world, or he wasn't quite as dazzled by her beauty as most boys. Jay guessed that either was possible, though being a terrible flirt was more likely. Who wouldn't be interested in Evie?

The three teenagers sat in the back of the car, with Carlos leaning against the window and staring at all three of them. Evie kept up a steady monologue, telling him where they were going and pointing out landmarks. Jay wondered if she was having the same thoughts as he was about Carlos trying to run away, and was trying to make sure he knew how to get back. 

Fairy Godmother said nothing, though she was watching carefully in the rearview mirror. The way she looked at Carlos, worried and somewhat nervous, bothered Jay. She, and the adults around her, were the only reason that Carlos was here in Auradon. He hadn't asked them to come here. They needed to balls up and take care of him, even if he was more work then they thought he would be.

It as past curfew, and the dorms were mostly quiet. They could hear music coming from some rooms, and even some laughing and talking, but all the doors remained closed. That Goodness for small favors, especially since Carlos jumped every time he heard a strangers voice. Poor kid.

Fairy Godmother unlocked the door for them. "You'll both have keys, of course, but I would like you to stick close to Jay for a little while, Carlos, at least until you have your bearings around the school. It's easy to get lost here. I don't want you to feel like a prisoner, so if you need something, you can always call me or any of the security people. They'll be glad to escort you."

He nodded without looking at her. Jay wondered how she thought Carlos was going to call, since he didn't talk, but he didn't ask. He just wanted everyone gone so Carlos would lose that trapped animal look in his eyes.

The look lifted when Carlos got a good look at his side of the room. He actually smiled, a real one, and it made him look like a kid for the first time. He walked over to the desk, running his fingers over the periodic table. Interestingly, his lips moved when he traced each element, and Jay was struck with the sudden thought that it wasn't that Carlos couldn't talk, but that he simply refused to do it. Could he possibly have the willpower to do that for so many years?

"See, I told you he'd like it." Evie was attempting to whisper, but Carlos heard it anyway and nodded. "I made you some clothes, too. I tried to base it off of what you had, but if there's something you don't like, or something you really do, let me know and I can fix it "

She walked over to the dresser, and this time he allowed her to stand close and hold up each piece of clothing. He still looked a little worried, but obviously he liked what she was showing him.

Evie's eyes darted over to Jay and Fairy Godmother, before she leaned over and whispered in Carlos' ear. She didn't touch him, and he seemed to be intently listening. Then he nodded and Evie stepped back. "I think you and I are going to be good friends."

Fairy Godmother clapped her hands again. "Well, I think it's bedtime for our boys. Evie? Will you escort a lady out?"

What she meant, of course, was that Evie had spent enough time in the boys dorm room, and it was time for her to leave. While there was no actual rule against opposite sexes being in each other's rooms during the day, it was somewhat discouraged, especially when the girl in question was the Princess who had just moved out of the house. Jay hugged her tight. "Bye, Evie."

Carlos didn't hug her, but he waved more enthusiastically. Jay wondered what she had told him. He had seemed to be relaxing as time went on, but when the door closed and it was just him and Jay again, he let out a heavy sigh. Clearly he had been more worried then he let on.

"So, this bed is yours. I thought you might feel better the mattress underneath, but we can always move it up if you want. Just let me know. This is the bathroom. My stuff is blue and yours is red so we can keep it straight. It doesn't really matter for towels and stuff, but lets just use our own toothbrushes and deodorants, ok? This is the bathtub. Right knob is cold water, left knob is hot water. Pull it out for the shower." All of that seemed pretty obvious, but if Carlos didn't know what a straw was, maybe he had never seen a shower either. "Um, that's pretty much it. I'm going to jump in the shower now, so if you want to explore a little in there, feel free."

He had already showered, but he wanted Carlos to feel comfortable looking around, and he knew the other boy wouldn't do so if he felt watched. This way he would have some privacy to look.

It worried him a bit, how quickly he had learned to interpret Carlos' needs and gestures, but that was a good thing, right? Carlos needed someone on his side, and Jay could be that for him. This was a good thing.


	9. Chapter 9

Never Mistake my Silence for Weakness. No One Plots a Murder Out Loud.  
Anonymous

 

It was early, but not as early as he woke up on the Island. Carlos crept out from under the bed, stretching silently. This mattress was nicer then the one in the hospital, which was way nicer then the one he had at home. Was there some sort of limit on how indulgent things could get here? Basic science told him that everything had an upper limit eventually, but he suspected that it would take a while to find it.

Jay was sleeping on the other side of the room, but Carlos was used to being as quiet as a cat. As Beelzebub, but the cat wasn't here any more. He had kept it safe for a long time after he found it in a trashcan in one of the alleys. But one day it was gone, and Cruella was happy for weeks afterwards. Carlos had counted her furs over and over, even braving her bedroom to look for a new muff or pair of gloves, but found nothing. She had killed his cat, though, he was sure of it. If she hadn't used the fur, it was almost worse, because she had done it out of cruelty and because she knew he loved it.

There were still two hours before Jay was going to get up, and Carlos had no idea what to do with himself. At home, he had a list of chore that needed to be completed before breakfast. In the hospital, he never came out from under the bed until breakfast was served and put next to his bed. But here? He had no idea what was expected of him.

Curiously, he climbed up into the window and stood on the bench, looking out at Auradon. He didn't have any windows at the hospital, and he hadn't really looked when he and Mal came, or last night. It was more important to focus on the people he was trapped in the car with. You never knew what a stranger might do to you.

There was a tiny sliver of yellow and pink if he looked hard enough, so it must be getting close to sunrise. It was pretty. On the Island, everything was dirty and hazy, and it always looked like rain, even when the sun should have been out. 

While Jay had been taking a shower last night (and he hadn't been kidding about the fact that people took long ones here. Of course, having actual hot water might account for that. Carlos couldn't wait to try it out himself.) Carlos had studied both sides of the room, getting to know his space and all possible hiding spots and exits from it. He was careful not to touch anything of Jay's, but he did check it out. No weapons, except for the stick with a basket on it, no chemicals, nothing that looked too dangerous.

His own side was more interesting, because these things were his. He had a bed that was just for him, and a desk with brand new pencils and pens that had full cartridges of ink instead of just a little left. He had a huge poster with the periodic table on it. Even though he had memorized the basic table a long time ago, it was helpful to have it laid out like this, where he could see masses and weights. 

Evie had picked it out for him. She had also made him new clothes that looked just like his old ones, but better. They were nicer quality and better looking. Carlos had thought that people just bought things here, and especially that the Princess wouldn't lower herself to making things for a street rat Island kid, but things were turning out different then he thought they would. 

But people were people in the end. The people in Auradon had been very nice to him so far, but they all had their own agendas. Jay agreed to take him in because Evie wanted him to, and because it got him a bigger room. The King brought him here because it made him look good to his people. Evie got him things and made him things because Carlos had something she wanted: he could tell her about her mother in a way that nobody else could.

It didn't bother him. No one did anything with altruistic motives, and, for the moment at least, everyone else's agendas were coinciding with Carlos' own. He had a warm and safe place to sleep, new clothes and possessions, and hopefully would be getting an education soon. These were things that he needed, and he was willing to play nice to get them. 

It was always a trade, and always somewhat selfish, even if the people in Auradon didn't quite seem to grasp that.

"Couldn't sleep?" Jay's voice made him jump, and he reflexively groped the side of his pants, looking for a knife. There weren't even any pockets, much less a knife. He had made one, but they took it away at the hospital. He hated not having a weapon on him at all times. He had had his own run ins with the Muffin Man, as well as various other perverts and killers who populated the Isle. With no on else to protect him, Carlos had to protect himself. 

Since he couldn't fight back, Carlos went with his other trick. He froze and didn't move. Cruella was like a T-Rex. Intelligent, mean, and dangerous. As much as she hated to admit it, he knew that he had gotten his smarts from her. Insanity had done nothing to take away her brilliance. Also like a T-Rex, she lost interest in him when he stayed still. Hopefully Jay would get bored and move on.

It didn't work. Jay sat up and swung his legs over the side of the bed. "Carlos? Are you ok?"

Shit, shit, shit! He was going to come over and then Carlos would be trapped against a window three stories up. He nodded frantically, hopping Jay could see it in the dark. 

"Ok, I guess. Is there anything I can do to help?"

He could just get things over with. Carlos knew that there would be consequences for waking Jay up. Waking Cruella up while he was doing his chores was a cigarette offense, not just a slap or punch offense. He hated those the worst, because the burning lasted for days afterwards and the marks never really went away. He hadn't seen a lighter here, but Jay's fists were big enough to easily break bones. He shook his head, trying to look small and non threatening. Cruella at least, was less rough if she thought she had broken his spirit.

"Alright. Well, I'm going back to sleep, then. If you change your mind, you can wake me back up." He rolled over on his other side and seemed to go back to sleep.

That was it? There was no way he was getting out of this without some form of punishment. But maybe that was how things worked here. Instead of just getting it over with, you had to wait, which was worse. Carlos didn't like having things hanging over his head like that, but he had to admit that it was effective. He still hadn't been punished for biting that guard, either. Maybe they waited until you were in super deep shit and took it out on you all at once. He had already fucked up twice since he had been here, three times if you counted breaking that window (which he didn't regret at all. Those people needed to know that he was on to them). 3 was a powerful number, even on the Island where there was no magic, so maybe this was when he got punished. Hopefully.

If he woke Jay up again, his luck was definitely going to run out, so he crept back under the bed. His new mattress had brand new sheets and a comforter, so he didn't really need the blanket Evie had given him. But he liked it, so he wrapped it around his shoulders and toyed with one corner of it. It was weirdly soothing, and he let his eyes close again. If he couldn't do anything else, he might as well catch up on his sleep.

He woke a second time when Jay's alarm went off. He wasn't used to noises like that and he bolted upright, adrenaline flooding his body and making his heart thump heavily in his chest. Jay cursed on the other side of the room and Carlos felt his breath quicken until he was almost panting. Miserably, he put his head under Evie's blanket to try and muffle the noise.

The alarm shut off and Jay groaned. "I'm guessing that woke you up, too. Sorry, I should have warned you how loud it was."

Yeah, that would have been nice. Carlos scooted out from under the bed and put his hands behind his back to Jay couldn't see them shake. Then he shrugged his shoulders. If Jay knew that the alarm scared him, it would give him something to use against Carlos. It wasn't like Jay wouldn't figure it out eventually, but that didn't mean Carlos had to make it easy on him.

Jay yawned. "Ok, so here's the deal today. I have class from 10-12, then lunch. If you want, I can grab something for both of us and come back here. Or maybe I could get you and we could go to the cafeteria together?"

Not a chance. Carlos shook his head firmly and Jay moved on. "Ok, I'll get us both something. Anything you can't or don't eat?"

Carlos shook his head again. If he had been picky, he would have starved a long time ago. "Good. So it's class again until 3, then Tourney practice from 4 to 6. I can come back in between class and Tourney and we can hang out. Do you want me to write it down?"

No, he had it. Jay kept talking. "Evie's going to come by and drop off some books for you, and you have testing today, right? So you shouldn't be too bored. If you are, you can always play with my laptop. I won't get mad, promise."

Carlos had been itching for a chance to touch a laptop ever since he had seen a picture of one years ago, but it as one of those things he never thought would happen. He really wished that Jay hadn't brought up his testing though. What if he failed and they gave up and sent him back to the Island? If Cruella ever got her hands on him again, he was a dead man. He had betrayed her and run away from home, and she did not suffer that lightly. Which basically meant that Carlos would be the one to suffer.

Something on Jay's desk buzzed, and Carlos jumped again. He liked all the technology available here, but he wasn't too sure about the noises it made. Jay smiled at him. "It's just the phone. It doesn't work outside Auradon Prep, but we can call other rooms or the teachers can contact us with it." He picked it up. "Hello? Umm....I guess. Hang on, let me ask him." He turned to Carlos. "You have a visitor who wants to come up. Some chick named Anita? Dude, you didn't tell me you were a stud!"

Carlos had no idea what a stud was. Well, he knew it was a horse you used for breeding, but he didn't think that was how Jay meant it. He was surprised that Anita had come back, after things went kind of bad on the way over (which was totally Mal's fault, He had been in control of himself until she went batshit), but he had to admit he was curious. She wouldn't bring a dangerous animal here on campus, since he was sure that the little rich kids parents would freak out, so he had to be safe from her pack of murderous dogs. Plus, she might bring him more chocolate. He nodded slowly.

"I'll stick by you." Jay uncovered the mouth piece. "He's cool, just give us a minute to get dressed." He sighed dramatically. "I know I need to get up earlier, but I always make it to class, don't I? Fine, most of the time. 10 minutes." 

He hung up. "Get dressed and brush your teeth quick, I couldn't hold them off much longer. So, is Anita hot?"

Oh, he thought that Anita was a girl their age and maybe even Carlos' girlfriend. Yeah right. He had never had a girlfriend, since his only choice would have been Mal, and he didn't care to have one either. The last thing he needed was another one of his mother bossing him around and dumping a baby on him like his father had done to his mother. He shook his head and chose one of the outfits Evie had made. It was a tiny bit big on him, but probably no one but him or Cruella would notice that. He brushed his teeth as fast as he could and ran his fingers through his unruly hair. He wasn't sure why he wanted to look decent for Anita, since he had never cared before, but he did.   
9  
Jay was quite disappointed to find out that Anita was old enough to be his mother, but he stuck by his promise not to leave Carlos alone with her. She smiled at him, and it was a nice smile. Kind of like the one Darling would give him, instead of the one Cruella did. "Hi, Carlos. You look much happier then you did the other night."

Not thinking he was in danger of imminent death tended to improve his outlook. He nodded, though, trying to give of sweet and grateful body language. The last thing he needed was to make this woman mad. After all, it was Anita who got his mother sent to the Island in the first place.

It must have worked, because she nodded and nudged a large bag towards him. "I brought you a welcoming gift." 

There were 3 brightly wrapped gifts inside, and Carlos froze. He had never unwrapped a gift before, though he had read about it in his books. Darling would bring him presents that she had scavenged sometimes, but she always just put them next to his mattress without a word.

He didn't know what to do. Sure, he had seen pictures of people opening gifts. But the people in the books all did it differently. Some of them were careful, and some of them tore the paper off in a shower of colors. Which way was the right way, or did it even matter?

Jay stepped in and grabbed one. Fine with Carlos, he had two more and was more then willing to sacrifice one of his gifts to keep Jay happy. If he made him happy enough, Jay might even forget that Carlos had woken him up this morning. 

But Jay didn't actually take the present. He just pulled out a desk chair for Carlos to sit in and handed it back. "Here. Open it up."

Carefully, he started peeling back the paper, ready to stop the minute either one of them got angry. Neither did, and he was able to get the wrapping off without anyone screaming at him.

It was a robotics kit. One that had brand new pieces that hadn't broken off of something better, and wires that he didn't have to strip and risk getting shocked or burned. It had real tools in it. If Carlos had ever asked for a present, this was exactly what he would have wanted. He wanted to thank Anita, but he hadn't talked to another person yet, and he wasn't about to start now. 

Even though he hadn't made a single sound, Anita seemed to get it. "I thought you might like it. Do you want to open the other ones?"

He was more enthusiastic about the next two, which were different kits. The first one showed a robot on the box, the second some kind of car, and the third a clock. Carlos didn't care about any of that, since he wouldn't be making those. He already had dozens of plans for the parts.

"Honey, I can't stay long. But I wanted to bring you something that you could do to pass the time. If you have trouble with the kits, one of the science teachers here will help you."

He wouldn't need help. He had done great things with much less. But there was no point in revealing that. He nodded again, never letting go of the box he was holding.

Anita continued on. "Roger and I would like for you to be able to come visit us at our house sometimes. Of course, you'll live here, but maybe during the holidays or summer?"

He vaguely remembered her saying something similar in the limo. He was torn. It would be interesting to see how a normal family worked, and it wouldn't hurt to have somewhere else to go when he blew it here at Auradon Prep. If he could last a few months here and a few months at Roger and Anita's that would give him everything he needed to make it on his own. If he played it right, he would have more freedom with Anita and Roger. They could take him into the city, and to places that his age wouldn't let him go on his own. Carlos knew that he could care for himself if he had to, but that didn't mean he was willing to just jump into it with no planning. That would just be foolish.

The only thing that made him nervous was the dogs. There couldn't possibly still be 101 of them, since they would be older then Carlos himself now, but that didn't mean that there weren't still some around. One dog would be enough to take him down if it really wanted to. 

Helplessly, he fluttered his hands, not knowing how to explain it. Jay read his mind and brought over a pad of paper and a pen. Carlos wrote quickly. I am afraid of dogs.

It was a calculated move, and once that might end up biting him in the ass. He wanted Anita to see him as sweet and gentle. He knew that he appeared younger then 16, and that his small size and lack of speech seemed to invoke pity in the people of Auradon, instead of the aggression it did on the Island. If he showed her that he was fearful and needy, it might make her less wary and more willing to help him.

Or it would give her ammunition to terrorize him with her pack of slavering beasts. But he had to take some risks to get what he wanted, and this one seemed like a good one. Her response would tell him how many of the creatures were in the house, and what steps he should take to protect himself. He would figure out how to get another knife at bare minimum. 

"We only have two now, though we'll be having some puppies in a few weeks. They have their own rooms downstairs, and your bedroom would be upstairs. If you don't want to be around them, you don't have to be." Her voice was colored with pity, and that pleased Carlos. He was doing it right.

So he gave her a shy smile and nodded a tiny bit. See, he was nice. He was sweet, and charming and grateful. She was fooled, and smiled back. "I brought you one more thing. I have copies, so you can keep them or toss them, or throw darts at them, whatever you want. I'm just going to leave them here." She set a large envelope on the desk. "Is it ok if I come and see you again?"

He nodded again. Carlos was starting to suspect that he was going to be very bored in here, and she might prove to be quite useful. "Alright. If you need anything, clothes, books, more science kits, you just let me know."

Jay whistled at him when she left. "Dude, you have a total sugar mama! You can get whatever you want right now!"

But he didn't want anything. Carlos already had more stuff in this room then he had ever had in his entire life. It was actually a little overwhelming to look at it all and know that it was his, and he didn't have to fight to get it or keep it. He had two blankets now, and electronics stuff, and a new toothbrush and soap. Soon he would have textbooks. What else did he need?

"What's in the envelope? Come on, open it." Jay was excited now, and it made Carlos a little excited, too. He was not, however, so excited that he was willing to forgo picking up the wrapping paper and neatly throwing it away. The thought of leaving a mess that someone else would see was just...horrific. Everything had to be neat and tidy or there would be consequences.

Once the clean up was complete, he picked the envelop up. It was light, but he felt something sliding around inside. He poured what first looked like some pieces of paper out onto the desk.

But it wasn't paper. It was photographs. Photographs of Cruella when she was younger. In some of them, she was even younger then he was now. Jay whistled. "That's your Mom, right? You look like her."

Unfortunately, it was the truth. As a teenager, Cruella's hair had been more like his, dark at the roots and lighter at the ends. It wasn't noticeable now, with all the things she had done to it, but the pictures didn't lie. Her eyes were the same color as his, and he could even see freckles in some of the snapshots.

It was unsettling. If Carlos looked like his mother, more so then his mysterious father, did that mean that he was like her mentally as well? Was he going to go crazy? How long before he was talking to a stuffed dog around his neck and killing little defenseless black kittens that did nothing but be nice and keep his son company?

With an anger he barely knew that he possessed, he grabbed the pictures and shoved them back in the envelop, then threw it in the trash can. He didn't want them. Cruella was gone now, still locked up on the Island, and he didn't have to ever see her again if he didn't want to.

"Are you sure you don't want to just put them away for a little bit? Jay spoke up, but Carlos shook his head stubbornly. No, he didn't even want to be in the same room as them. His time living with Cruella and being her victim was over. Even when they got sick of him here and sent him back, he wasn't ever setting foot in Hell House again. He would live on the streets first.

"Ok, then. If you're sure." Jay started to reach out for him, and Carlos dodged to the side. He might have to let Darling do that sometimes, but that didn't mean he was going to let Jay do it. 

"Alright. So, I'm headed out, but I'll be back with some lunch for us." He waved. "See you, Dude."

Carlos waved back. As soon as the door closed, he grabbed Anita's presents and took them under the bed. If Fairy Godmother saw them, she would take them away from him. Not so much because she was mean, though he wasn't discounting that idea entirely, but because he was sure that she wouldn't let him have anything resembling a weapon, and he had seen the picture of soldering guns on the side of the box. He was used to having to hide anything good that he found, and having a real bed certainly made it easier for him.

He didn't have testing until after lunch, so he climbed back up in the window and stared out. Now that the sun was up, he had a good view of some of the campus and Auradon City beyond. He could see the students walking around, talking and hanging out. He was fascinated with the way they walked up to each other and hugging and talking. Nobody looked behind them, even though people were back there and could be getting ready to do anything. There was no posturing, the way he saw adults do it on the Island. 

Was this normal? Carlos spun the idea over in his mind, but how was he supposed to tell? He couldn't do an experiment, because then he would need a control group of kids from the Island. Or he guessed he could send a group of Auradon kids to the Island instead, but that seemed unnecessarily cruel. Simple observation was out, too. He had never seen teenagers in a group before. He had watched Mal extensively, to learn her routines and weaknesses, but anecdote was not data, and his observations were useless now. 

As much as he hated to be lumped in with Mal, he had to admit that they were two of a kind right now. They were two creatures that were very well adapted for a unique and isolated environment. The problem was, they didn't appear to be able to function well here.

His favorite thing was electronics and building things, but Carlos really loved all science. One time, Darling had found him a textbook that was only missing the cover and the first 20 pages or so. One of the things it talked about was little birds on a series of Islands. They all started out the same, but when they went to different Islands, their beaks changed to fit the type of food they ate. Some of them were long and some were short and some were sharp and some were hooked. But they could never leave their own Islands. If they tried, they weren't able to eat because their beaks were the wrong shape for the food available. They would starve to death. 

That was him and Mal. They had been taken off their Island, where they were perfectly adapted, and thrown somewhere new. Whether they could further adapt or would wither and die remained to be seen.

Since there was nothing else to do, he cleaned his side of the room again, making sure everything looked just as perfect as it had last night. But what was he supposed to do about Jay's side? At home he was expected to do all of it. But what if Jay got mad? He eased from one foot to the other while he thought, before deciding to just clean it. Jay had already said he could play with the laptop and to feel free to look around, so that was close to permission, right? He would just have to be extra careful not to break anything.

He quickly folded the pajamas that Jay had left on the floor and put them in the correct drawer. The desk was already a mess, so he fixed it as best he could, putting the pens and pencils away and wiping the desk itself down. Then he made Jay's bed. 

Standing back, he looked the room over. It looked exactly as it had last night, like the two of them hadn't even been here yet. That was good. At home, Cruella preferred that it look like Carlos didn't even exist, so there was no reason to think it would be different here.

Once that was done, he was stuck. He wasn't about to open up his new kits and reveal what he had to the people doing the testing. At home he usually napped when he had time to himself, since Cruella tended to get crazier after dark. She didn't tend to bother Carlos when she got like that, since she usually forgot he was even there, but she did scream a lot, and it kept him awake.

But he had gotten plenty of sleep last night for a change. So he didn't need or even desire more sleep. So he grabbed the blanket Evie had given him and climbed up into the window. Having good observation skills had kept him alive so far, and being up so high gave him the advantage of not being seen.

People came and went. He saw the same students more then once, leading him to conclude that each class must be close to an hour. He may have dozed despite himself, because a knock at the door made him startle.

Jay walked in, carrying some trays full of food. "Hey, Dude, what's shaking?"

Carlos shrugged, his eyes locked on the food. If they split it evenly, each would get a sandwich, chips, fruit, some sort of weird little cup that looked like melted chocolate. That was enough for two, maybe three meals. 

"I wasn't sure what you would like, so I got a turkey sandwich and a ham one. If you don't like it, I can get you something else." Jay grabbed two bottled drinks out of his back pack. "Ok, dig in."

Then, the unthinkable happened. Jay let go of the tray before Carlos had a good grip, and it fell to the floor, scattering food everywhere. This was it, he was done for. Carlos jerked right, towards the bed, but realized he could easily be pulled out. Jay was in between him and both the room and bathroom doors. Carlos was closest to the window, but he wasn't willing to jump three stories straight down. So he just dropped his head and waited for whatever was coming. If he looked on the bright side (and sometimes you had to, just to keep from going crazy), the past week had probably been the longest he had gone without getting his ass kicked in his entire life.

Jay stepped towards him and Carlos squeezed his eyes shut. Please don't go for the face, please don't go for the face, please don't go for the face.....

"Hey, it's ok." Jay lightly touched his shoulder and Carlos flinched as hard as if he had actually been hit. "It's ok. It's just a sandwich and it was my fault anyway. I should have made sure you had the tray. Alright? I'm not mad, it's no big deal. Look, the pudding is still sealed up and the chips are in a bag and the apple can just be rinsed off. It's just the sandwich that's ruined and I'll go get another one. It was just an accident. Ok?"

He was talking to Carlos the same way Cruella talked to an animal that she was trying to trick into coming close to her. And Carlos had seen what happened when the unwary animal was finally fooled. He kept his eyes shut and nodded. Jay took it as encouragement. "Just go ahead and eat mine, ok? Eat everything if you want it, I'll get a brand new tray. Don't be scared, nothings going to happen to you."

Bullshit. He had wasted food, he had made a mess, and he had put Jay out by having to go back across campus and get more food. Those were some of the biggest offenses out there. Probably the biggest was talking back, but that was reserved for Darling, since Carlos had the sense to just not talk at all. There was never any telling what might set Cruella off.

"Ok?" Jay wasn't going to let it go. "Carlos? It's alright. No one is going to hurt you."

He nodded again and Jay left. Carefully he reassembled the tray, including the sandwich. Really, it didn't look, too bad. So what if it had been on the floor? He had certainly eaten worse and he hated the thought of throwing away perfectly good food. Quickly, he hid the sandwich in one of his desk drawers before Jay could come back. He would have to remember it was there, so it didn't go bad and alert Jay to the smell, but at least he would have something for the days when there was no food. Then he rinsed the apple off and waited. He wouldn't touch Jay's food. Even though it was supposedly ok, he knew better.

Jay was back in just a few minutes, with the promised new tray. This time he was careful to make sure Carlos was steady with the tray before. "See? No problem. Don't worry about dropped sandwich, ok? It's not the end of the world."

Carlos still didn't believe him, but he was more focused on the food in front of him. He was really trying to slow down on the eating after he had made himself sick once (fine, twice.) at the hospital from bolting it too quickly, but it was really hard. He was used to losing his food if he didn't eat it quick enough, whether it was to Mal or one of Cruella's games. 

But he was acutely aware of the fact that people noticed his poor manners, and he hated it. Not because he cared about their opinions, because he didn't, but because it drew attention to him. He had survived as long has he had by being the invisible man, first at home, then out in the marketplace. No one noticed the little boy stealing food, except for the Muffin Man that one time, and Carlos had been fortunate to have his knife on him that day. Cruella failed to notice him most of the time, which was certainly good for him. Shit, even the people from Auradon managed to not notice him when he was a baby. Not being noticed was a good thing.

But he was going to be noticed here. He was the poor little Island kid, the lost one, the crazy lady's son. He was new, and he didn't talk and he came from a place of nightmares. His only hope was the knowledge that Mal was even more of an attention getter then he was. She was still in the hospital, though, which meant Carlos would be facing the brunt of the attention.

There was nothing he could do to change the fact that he was about to be Auradon Prep's newest tourist attraction, but that didn't mean he had to give them anything more to talk about then they already had. So he had to use all of his skill and blend into the background. He couldn't do anything about his eye catching hair color, and he refused to mess with his fashion sense, but he could make himself so boring to watch that they would eventually give up.

He had found a picture of an animal in the same book he learned about the finches in. It was the ugliest thing he had ever seen, but it had a really neat trick. When it was confronted and knew it couldn't fight back, it would fall over and pretend to be dead until the danger passed. Most animals gave up on something that didn't move or do anything interesting or threatening, and humans were nothing but slightly more evolved animals. Carlos would have to be just like the possum, and that included eating nicely.

He wasn't sure how slow was appropriate, but he figured he could just mimic Jay for now. He was still getting used to eating food that wasn't at least partway rotten. He liked having an apple that was hard and crunchy instead of soft and overly sweet. The sandwich, though...he liked the meat, and the bread wasn't moldy, but there was some sauce on it that felt funny in his mouth. He would still eat it, of course, but he wasn't sure he liked it.

Jay noticed. "What's the matter? Don't like the mayo?"

If he nodded, Jay might take his food away. But if he shook his head, Jay would know that he was lying and might get mad at him. Since he had that extra sandwich hidden, he took a risk and shook his head. He wasn't sure what mayo was, so he pointed at the white sauce. 

"Yeah, that's the mayo. I don't like it either." Jay held out his own sandwich. "Here. The yellow stuff is mustard. How does that taste?"

Carlos couldn't believe that Jay would just offer over his food like that. He took a very small bite and nodded. It did taste much better. Jay flipped his hand back and forth. "Thumbs up or thumbs down?"

It wasn't hard to extrapolate what that meant, even though he had never heard the term before. Carlos gave him a quick thumbs up, which made Jay laugh. Why did he like it when Jay laughed like that? Or complimented him? Or took time away from his friends to eat in his room with someone who wouldn't even talk back to him?

He didn't know, and if there was one thing Carlos hated, it was not knowing something. He filed it away to mull over later.

All too soon, Jay's break was over and he had to leave again. Which also meant that his testing was getting ready to start. Carlos felt his heart speed up and his hands start to tremble. He knew that he was smart, and that he was good at a lot of things academically, but was it enough to keep up with kids here? They had been in real school for years and years and all he had had were their cast off textbooks to try and teach himself with. If he didn't know what a straw was, what other knowledge was he missing?

He was still worrying when the knock came at the door. "Carlos? It's Fairy Godmother and we're ready to start your testing."

Oh, joy. He considered not letting her in, but she would just come back later and Jay would do it, so he opened the door. 

Immediately, he knew that this was going to be a disaster. There were three other people with her, and it was too many. Bad enough when they were one on one, but now he was totally outnumbered and didn't even have Jay to back him up. His breath wanted to speed up, but he managed to keep it under control.

"This is not the sort of test you pass or fail, aright? So I don't want you to worry about that. All it tells me is what you already know, and what you still need to be taught. This is Professor Knight, Professor Kropp, and Professor Ray. They'll be administering the tests.

Professor Ray stepped forward first. "Hi, Carlos. All I'm going to do is check your vocabulary, alright? I'm going to show you a set of pictures and give you a word. Just point to the picture that matches the word. There's no limit on this test. It stops when you miss six out of eight words."

Ok, that was easy enough. Carlos backed up so he could set his laptop on the desk. "You're first word is 'man'."

Carlos relaxed a tiny bit and pointed to the correct picture. He was going to be fine.

Except he wasn't. The next word was 'cat', and the one after that 'cup'. Those were easy enough. Professor Ray clicked a button and reset the pictures after each selection, so they were always changing. 

But the fourth word was 'thermos' and he had no idea what that was. They were all waiting and looking at him, so he desperately pointed at a picture of an animal he didn't recognize. Professor Ray didn't say anything, but Carlos could tell that he had picked wrong.

The next few words he was confident with, but he froze again on 'monkey'. Hopefully it was the animal this time.

The test went on and on, and the words kept getting harder. 'Concentric', 'Illuminate', 'Chattel'. He was starting to get very confused and his breathing picked up again, and his skin felt hot and itchy. He just knew that if he looked in the mirror, he would have those bright red blotches on his neck and arms. Cruella loved to get him alone and freak him out until those blotches came up. Then she would run her fingernails down his arm and tell him how cute he was, and that if she could just get his skin to stay like this, she wouldn't need a Dalmatian after all. It was probably one of the most disturbing things she did to him.

Professor Ray noticed. "Easy there, don't get so worked up. You're doing great. Better then a lot of my students, guaranteed."

 

That didn't really help. He just wanted this to be over, so the other teachers could torment him for a while and then leave. 'Husbandry' 'Soliloquy' 'Schism'.

Then the screen stopped. Was that it? Professor Ray was looking at him strangely. When he realized that Carlos was looking back, he forced a smile. "Good job. You're done with my part for right now. I'm going to speak to Fairy Godmother in the hall for a moment, and hand you off to Professor Kropp."

Darling liked to talk to Cruella in the hall about him, too. Carlos always listened in, and it was never good. Why doesn't he talk, Cruella? Who is his father, Cruella? What have you done to him, Cruella? He couldn't do that now, though, not with those other Professors watching him. 

"Hi, Carlos. I'm the math teacher, so I want to see where you are. I'm going to give you some problems, and I want you to work them for me. Show your work if you can."

What did that mean? The first set of problems was just addition and subtraction, things that he had been doing since he was two years old. He scrawled the answers as quickly as he could, then looked up expectantly. 

"Good job. How about this one?" He put down a second sheet, and Carlos stopped. He had never seen the symbols between the two numbers before. What was he supposed to do? Professor Kropp gestured. "It's multiplication. Can you multiply those two numbers."

Oh. Yes, he could multiply numbers. He had just never seen a dot used as a multiplication sign before. He worked through the second page as quickly as he had the first. "Good, good."

They went through several more pages, with the teacher explaining what was expected at each one. It was easy. Some of the graphing was strange, because he had never done it with a premade graph, but he was used to doing something similar when he invented. He really liked math. It was straightforward. There was one right solution, and that was it. Not like life, which was messy and gross and usually painful in one way or another. 

Eventually, though, he hit a place where his knowledge failed him.

There were more symbols he had never seen before, letters and a severe lack of number. This was it, he was done. He gave Professor Kropp a beseeching look and shook his head. Please, please don't hurt me.

"Good job. I'll be seeing you in either Calculus or Physics II, depending on which your advisor thinks you should take." He stood up and left, joining the discussion in the hall. When he opened the door, Carlos caught a snippet of conversation. Professor Ray was wanting to test him further, and Fairy Godmother was refusing. He had failed after all.

The door closed, leaving him with the final person, Professor Knight. "I'm just going to look at your reading, ok? I'm going to put a paragraph in front of you, and I want you to read it and answer the questions on the other side. There's no time limit."

Carlos was not a particular fan of reading, especially stories. True, they had taught him at least a few things about how a family was supposed to work, but more often then not they were just silly. Reading manuals taught him to build things and that made him money. Money bought Cruella new coats, and thus benefited Carlos. She wouldn't injure him too badly to finish his work. He might have to deliver things with black eye and the occasional broken finger, but at least he could still walk.

This test was the shortest, since all he had to do was read quickly and write down a few answers. Professor Knight laughed when Carlos pushed the paper back at him. "I don't know what the discussion in the hall is all about, but I can tell you that you're on grade level for reading, at least." He reached into the bag he was holding and pulled out a bag of peanut butter disks. "Don't tell Fairy Godmother, and if you eat them all at once and get sick, I know nothing about how you got them."

Between the peanut butter disks and the second lunch he was hiding, Carlos calculated he had at least three days worth of food put back. Not bad for one morning's work. 

Once the room was empty again, he crept to the door and pressed his ear against it, hoping to hear what was being discussed. There was nothing, so they must have moved on. Good.

Even though the tests hadn't been particularly hard, it was still more human interaction then Carlos usually got in a week. If you counted the fact that the professors were all strangers, it was probably closer to a month. 

But at least it was over with. Jay would come back soon, and bring the protection he afforded with him. Carlos climbed back into the window, which was rapidly becoming his favorite spot in the room. It allowed him to be safe on three sides, and it was far from the door. Plus, it had the added bonus of a nice view. Now, all he had to do was wait for Jay to come back.

*******

She had to get out of here. With Carlos gone (and for the love of Evil, it absolutely galled her that he had been released before she was. If anyone belonged in a mental hospital, it had to be him.), she was the only person here. That should have earned her more attention and privileges, but she had managed to burn those bridges. The staff was afraid of her, and spent no more time with her then was strictly necessary. Fairy Godmother came by most days, but she wasn't coming until later today. She had to test Carlos, who was getting the lions share of everything around here.

It bothered her. Not so much because Carlos was using up the majority of what had to be limited resources, but because he was doing it all so smoothly. She wouldn't have thought that kid would have the balls.

She hadn't been kidding when she told Evie to be careful of Carlos. He was dangerous, and that was despite his mother, not because of her reputation. She had never seen him without a knife of some sort, and he didn't hesitate to use it. 

Not that she blamed him. From the first time she had seen him, when she was 10 years old, he had always been alone. An adult would be foolish to go into the market unarmed, much less a scrawny little kid. But Carlos was constantly in and out, not seeming to mind.

And he really was scrawny. Even now, she would be that he was no taller then she was. With his small body and huge dark eyes, he looked like a lost little boy, something that the people in Auradon seemed to be absolutely eating up. 

After he bested her in the market and stole her bread, Maleficent had made it her duty to find out as much as she could about this little deVil boy. Not to help Mal, of course, but because she couldn't believe that Crazy Cruella had not only been smart enough hot not only hide her child in the Great Raid, but managed to not kill and skin him in the years that followed.

There wasn't much to go on. Everyone seemed to at least know of Carlos, and his hair and fashion sense was a dead giveaway as to his lineage, but no one seemed to know anything about him. He hung around the docks, waiting for the barges, but he didn't go for the food that arrived. Smart move, since there were plenty of people who wouldn't hesitate to toss a little boy overboard for those scraps. He was never seen in Cruella's company, and no one had ever heard her talk about him. He spoke to no one and no one spoke to him. He was like a ghost.

At least he was until about 18 months ago. That was when the rumors and gossip started to swirl. If you needed something made, you went to deVil. It would cost you, but it was worth it. His stuff worked, and he could fix just about anything. If you tried to stiff him on his prices, though, your new possession had a strange way of blowing up on you. Several people were hurt and one person lost an eye. She might have been impressed with his ingenuity if she didn't hate him so fucking much.

Her mother was impressed, though, and decided to investigate the matter herself. Much to her horror, Mal was ordered to stay behind while Maleficent and Jafar went to go talk to the boy. They came back late that night with an order for a generator of some sort that would supposedly keep the electricity from going out so often. 

They also returned with a boatload of gossip, both about the deVil boy and his mother. He seemed to have made himself a spot in an old building, and relied on word of mouth to get his customers to him. If you spoke to the right people, he wasn't a hard person to find.

But he was an odd one. For one thing, nobody knew his actual name. Most people just waited until he was looking at them to speak to him. If you really needed him and he was distracted, he would look if his last name was called. Sometimes. Mostly he just ignored the call until he was finished.

And he didn't talk. He would let you tell him what you wanted, then offer a quick sketch of the object. Then it was time to haggle price. He wrote the price next the sketch and waited. Since money was in short supply, you could sometimes get a deal by bringing him food, more parts for other inventions, or even nice fabric (in black, white, or red only, of course). Once that was settled, he scrawled down a date for you to come back and get your new toy.

Those were the things that everyone agreed on. Other rumor swirled, but had no proof. The kid was so good with this stuff because he was secretly performing magic. The magic came from his father. Or Cruella, who had sold her soul to Diablo so her son would have powers. 

Others claimed that that wasn't true at all. The deVil boy was clever, but deeply disturbed. He skinned animals, just like his mother. For a while, he had a little black cat that followed him around like a dog, but then it just disappeared. Some people swore they had seen him with a new pair of black gloves shortly afterwards. She had even heard that he set fires, though no one seemed to know when or where.

He had startled when he saw Maleficent, and obviously quite afraid, but he held his ground. He did not, however, make a sound, even when she pushed. Maleficent came home convinced that he was simply incapable. She was the undisputed queens of the Island, and there was no way any child would stand up and defy her.

Mal didn't say it, but she was pretty much convinced that her mother was an idiot. She defied Maleficent on a regular basis, and she had much more reason to fear her then some spooky kid who seemed to be able to vanish at will. Though Cruella and Jafar claimed he had been alone, with just one other customer present, no one had any doubt that he had some way to defend himself. The whole building was probably rigged.

Once she was done with the order, the boy, had just turned away and back to whatever he was tinkering with, dismissing her completely. Apparently the conversation (and the term was rather loose with him) was over.

So she left, and decided to pay a little visit to Hell House. The place was terrifying, even Maleficent admitted that, but waiting for Cruella to emerge could take months.

Unlike her son, Cruella had no fear of Maleficent or her reputation. Mal suspected that it was less to do with bravery and more to do with the fact that the woman was insane. Not just fixated on revenge like her mother or fixed on power like Jafar, but absolutely out of vetoes with reality. She mildly invited Maleficent inside, as if they were about to have tea. 

There was no tea. Or food of any sort. There was also no sign that a child lived there at all. Maleficent drew herself up to her (admittedly less then impressive) full height. "I'm here about your son."

Cruella rolled her eyes. "You and everyone else. I don't know where he is, nor do I care. Whatever he's done this time, it's your problem."

"He's done nothing, at least not for the moment. I'm just curious about him. You've never mentioned having a child."

"Nor have you, dearest. A secret is only as good as those who keep it." The woman flitted about, moving dishes and other objects around. 

Maleficent had chosen not to engage in that line of argument. "You know that he's in that market alone right now, surrounded by a bunch of murderers, rapists, and thieves. It doesn't concern you?"

"Not at all. He does a fine job of caring for himself. Can't coddle them too, much Maleficent."

"Where did he learn this stuff? Someone has to be teaching him." 

"He teaches himself. Always has. That boy hasn't been right since the day he was born. Doesn't sleep, doesn't talk. Just skulks around here like some sort of mangy cur dog and hides from me. When he's here, he's holed up somewhere reading. It's better for all of us when he's gone. You're wasting your time here, Maleficent, I have nothing to say regarding him." 

It was a losing battle. Either the woman was too far out of reality to divulge any useful information, or she was far more lucid then Maleficent would have given her credit for and still wasn't going to divulge anything.

Time to play rough. "Really? You know I have ways of making things happen don't you? What if I were to hurt that baby boy of yours? How long do you think he could stand against a group of thugs?"

Cruella was unfazed. "He might surprise you. But do as you will, Maleficent. You always have in the past."

"What if it were you I went after? You won't stand to help him, but what if he were to come home one day and find his mother with her throat slit? Or being held down and used by a group of men? Would you be interested in talking about him if it meant saving your own skin?"

The madwoman laughed. "If you send a group of men in here it will be the biggest thrill I've had since spawning the pup. And if they kill me, he'll probably just piss on my body and leave. Don't think that he loves me any more then I love him."

It was plain to see that that was the truth, and Maleficent gave up. "Tell him that I'll be expecting that generator within the week." She stood to leave.

Cruella walked her out, pleasant as always. "You're better off telling him yourself, Dearest. Like I told you, he hides from me." She closed the door in Maleficent's face, dismissing her as abruptly as her son had.

Her mother had stewed on the deVil boy and his mother for a week, waiting for the generator to arrive. The boy delivered it himself, accepting the money she offered in silence and refusing to step within arms reach. Even the promise of a quick meal should he come inside failed to coax him inside. As soon as the transaction was complete, he turned and bolted, seeming to vanish into thin air.

The generator worked and, as far as Mal knew, it was still working. It pleased her mother to no end to have consistent electricity, and Mal was ordered to befriend the deVil boy. If he could do this with a weeks notice, what could he do with more time? Maybe even get them off this Evil forsaken rock. His brains might be just as scrambled as his mothers, hence his lack of speech, but he was certainly showing some savant-like qualities.

Which basically meant that Maleficent had a new favorite, and it wasn't her own daughter. It only made her hate that brat even more. Before, their battles had been limited. They each had their own territory. His was the inner part of the market back to Hell House, and hers was the outer part back to her own home. They didn't invade each others space, and the only skirmishes happened over resources right at the boundary line.

But once Maleficent decided that she preferred him, all bets were off. Mal feared the market, but her hatred was stronger then her fear, and she managed to seek the kid out on his own turf. It surprised him at first, but he fought back with the viciousness of someone with absolutely nothing to lose. This was about the time that they weapons got involved, and they both frequently ended up bleeding.

If it was that bad on the Island, where they were still separated 95% of the time and had plenty of opportunities to get away from each other, what was it going to be like in Auradon, where they slept just a few yards down the hall from each other? Unless something drastic happened, they would also be in at least some of the same classes. Trapped. 

Not that she didn't think she could take him, because she could. She had bested him multiple times in the past, probably as often as he bested her. But he was getting bigger and stronger, while her growth had stopped. There would come a day when he could overpower her much more easily, and she would be in trouble then, without even Maleficent to protect her.

Unbidden, a pale green flame rose in her hand, darkening as she stared at it. She didn't fear for herself at all, nor did she care about the other students in this school, but she did worry for Evie. Especially since the girl seemed determined to pursue a relationship with Carlos as well as with Mal herself. 

Would Carlos attempt to hurt her, either out of meanness or to get to Mal herself? She didn't know. In his place, she would certainly hurt Jay. If they were still on the Island, she would have done it already, just to let Carlos know who was the boss around here.

But things were different here, a fact that Carlos had picked up on as well. They were expected to be nice, and good and she was pretty sure that hurting people was neither of those things. Hurting one person to get to another was definitely a bad thing. And if she wanted to get out of this place, she had to take a page from Carlos' book and at least pretend to be good.

Was it still bad if she hurt someone to prevent them from hurting another person, though? If Carlos was dangerous to Evie, wasn't it Mal's duty to step in and stop it from happening? It had absolutely nothing to do with the fact that she considered Evie hers, and didn't want Carlos anywhere near her. For some reason people liked the little weirdo, and Mal didn't want Evie to do it, too. 

The doorknob turned and Mal snapped her fingers together, extinguishing the flame. "Who is it, please?" There, that was nice and polite.

"It's Fairy Godmother. May I come in?" Her voice was almost sing-songy. 

Like Mal could say no. Also, why did she ask permission when she was already coming inside? That was kind of rude. But at least she was company. "Come in."

"How are you today, Mal? You look well." She discreetly looked around the room, checking to see if anything was destroyed, either through uncontrolled magic or just Mal's temper. "You must be ready to get out of this place."

"I am." She made herself look hopeful. "Will it be soon?"

"Yes. It might even be as soon as tomorrow. I just want to be sure that you're ready. You've making wonderful progress, and I think that you'll be better served spending time with other students and in school then being stuck here with a dusty old lady. Can you summon a flame for me?"

Mal did, making sure it was slower and with considerably more effort then she could do it in private. You never revealed all of your strengths to the enemy. 

"Good, good. How are you feeling? Any headaches, nausea? Good appetite?"

"Yes to all of it. I've been feeling great. No headaches, no ear pain, no anxiety. I'm ready for some freedom."

"I think you are as well. I still want you to come to me daily for work, though. You've shown enormous promise with your magic, and it will be very helpful for you to develop it."

That was the best opening Mal had gotten so far. "I would like that. Will I get a wand like yours?"

Fairy Godmother looked uncomfortable. "That's not done much anymore, my dear. A wand is mostly for show and ceremonies, anyway."

"But you had it in the limo. I remember seeing it on the floor. Doesn't it help to focus your natural power? Having one of my own might help me get started." Mal had zero interest in having her own wand. But she did want to keep Fairy Godmother talking about it. The more she knew, the easier it would be to get a hold of it.

"It does amplify and focus power. But a wand is not necessary, except in extenuating circumstances. I took mine to retrieve you and Carlos because I wasn't sure if there would be a fight or other dangers. Before that, I hadn't taken it out of the museum since Prince Ben's birth."

So the wand was kept in a museum. Good to know. "Aren't you afraid that someone will steal it? I would want to always keep it with me." 

Fairy Godmother softened with pity, which made Mal's temper rise. She hated nothing more then when people pitied her. She was Mal, daughter of Maleficent, and she was a girl to be feared instead of pitied.

She knew better then to express that, though. That pity would lull them into a false sense of security, and make them easier to bend to her will. No matter how much it made her grit her teeth.

"That doesn't happen here. If you have something, it's yours and you don't have to worry about people taking it away from you, alright? This isn't like it was at your old home." 

The Island wasn't her old home, it was her only home. Auradon was a temporary stop. As soon as she was in charge, there would be no more Auradon. 

Also? Bullshit. The people here in Auradon couldn't be that different then those on the Island. People were people. There was always someone who would lie, or cheat, or steal. Maybe it didn't happen as often here, or maybe the people of Auradon were just too naive to see it, but she was sure that it happened. 

But it wouldn't do to tip her hand, so she just looked down instead. "Ok. I guess everything is going to take a little getting used to."

"It's alright, dear. I'm going to recommend that you see a counselor for right now. He'll help you work through some of the issues you're having. Think of him as a friend, someone you can talk to."

It was said so sweetly that Mal wasn't quite sure what she was saying at first. Then it hit her. "You want me to go to a shrink! I'm not fucking crazy! Make that fucker Carlos go. He's the one who can't even talk." Sparks fluttered from her fingertips, singing the sheets. For Evil's sake, she had to get it together!

Fairy Godmother sighed. "Your anger is one of the reasons that I want you to go. A counselor is not a shrink, and it doesn't mean that you're crazy. You're adjusting to a lot right now, and I want to make this as smooth as possible. Having someone to talk to that's removed from the immediate situation will help. And I'm sending Carlos as well, so don't worry about him."

Mal crossed her arms over her chest and glared. "I won't go. I don't need some freak to listen in on my every conversation."

"You will go, or you will not be released from this hospital. It is not an option, Mal." She was still pleasant, but Mal heard the undercurrent of steel in her words. It was a reminder that this woman was far stronger then she first appeared.

Mal clenched her hands and forced the sparks to stop. She was a good girl now, and good girls didn't shoot sparks at people, or swear, or talk back. Being a good girl fucking sucked. "I'm sorry. It's....it's just really hard to think about opening up to a stranger and telling him things that I've never told anyone before. But you're right, it will probably be a good thing."

Hopefully the therapist would be as easily fooled as everyone else in Auradon. "I can do it. I really want to get out of here and get into the new normal."

"It goes against my better judgment, but I'm going to approve you being released. I want you to understand that you're being watched, though, and I will take steps to separate you and Evie the minute I see trouble. You make think that we're fools here in Auradon, but we aren't. I will not be cruel to either you or Carlos, nor will I punish you when you have done nothing wrong, but I will not let the two of you be cruel to or harm anyone else. You will have consequences for your actions. This applies to both of you, so do not accuse me of showing favoritism to Carlos."

Oh, nasty. Mal liked this side of Fairy Godmother. Getting the wand might not be as easy as she had thought it would be. Fine with her. Mal loved a challenge, and it would only make her stronger in the end. 

Ok, Auradon. Game on.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Carlos and Mal are a lot more alike then they care to admit or think about,aren't they? This was another long chapter, hooray. In case anyone was wondering, last chapter was 20 pages, and this one was 23 pages. Together they would have been monsterous. But since I had so many requests, the next time a chapter gets long, I will keep it all together for you guys!


	10. Chapter 10

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Slowly, Slowly.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This one took a little longer, but it's a long chapter. Would anyone like to beta for me? I can promise virtual whippets....  
> So, does anyone else thing that Cruella deliberately conceived Carlos with a white man so she could try and get a Dalmatian baby? God knows, she didn't seem to have any desire to have a child for it's own sake.

Coming Together is a Beginning  
Keeping Together is Progress  
Working Together is Success  
-Henry Ford

 

Should she take the stuffed dragon? Evie hovered her hand over Mumford uncertainly. It wasn't that she slept with him every night any more, but he had a place of honor by her pillow. He had been a gift from Ben on third birthday, one he had actually chosen himself, and she had always travelled with him. Leaving him behind felt wrong, especially when she would be in a totally new place. 

She would be lying if she said that she wasn't nervous. It had been easy, in the heat of the moment, to say she would take Mal on, and that she wanted to leave home and be roommates with a girl she didn't know, and who had already proved she was hiding things. What if it didn't work out? What if Mal did something to her in the middle of the night? What if she wanted Mal to do something to her in the middle of the night? The last made her face flush, which she knew clashed unattractively with her hair.

Quickly she grabbed her dragon and put him in the suitcase, trying to derail her roving thoughts. She was a lady and she was going to act like one, goodness damn it!

Her mother had taken her shopping yesterday for new bedding, since the dorm bed would be smaller then the one in this room. Belle had still been sad about losing her, but she did her best to cover it with excitement about the changes. "You're a lucky girl, Evie. When I was your age, I was stuck at home with my father, just dreaming of a chance to get out and experience more. It didn't happen for me until I was much older, but you'll have that chance now. You're going to have so much fun."

"You aren't mad at me? " She had to be sure. As many times as they assured her that they were not, and that she was not to blame for they way the truth had come out, there was a part of her that didn't believe it. A part that thought the reason they had agreed to let her go to the dorms was because they were glad to be rid of her. After all, she was the one who had blown up their perfect family. They could still be perfect, but not with her around. Now it was just the King, the Queen, and the Prince. Perfection.

"Of course not." Belle took her daughters hands, and Evie realized that they were the same size. She was a grown woman with the insecurities of a child. How pathetic. "I'll tell you a little secret, something that stays just between us girls, alright?" When Evie nodded, the Queen moved closer so she could whisper. "I wanted both you and Ben in the dorms from the beginning. Your father overruled me on it, but I thought it was important that you have those experiences. Neither one of us grew up with friends the way you two have, and I wanted you to both experience some normal teenager things before you got bogged down by your duties to the kingdom. So, I'm not angry at all."

That made her feel a little better. "I'm kind of nervous."

"I know. I wanted to leave home and have adventures at your age, but I don't think I would have ever had the courage to actually do it. You're going to be a strong woman and a wonderful leader in your own right. Remember, Ben might be the King, but the King is useless without his court and especially his diplomats. Everyone has to work together to create a strong kingdom. You're on your very first diplomatic mission here, and it's going to be a tough one. But you can do it. I have complete faith in any daughter of mine."

Thinking of this as a diplomatic mission had helped both Evie's nerves, and reminded her to get herself under control. Maybe back in the olden days it had been okay for a female diplomat to sleep with people to get what she wanted, but that would be gross today. Today women had more tools at their disposal then just their bodies in a tight fitting corset.

She shook her head to clear it, and went back to packing. She couldn't leave her sewing machine behind, and Ben had already taken time out of his duties for the day to help her build some shelves for her fabric. She loved making clothing, and it brought in a little extra money. Her parents would buy her what she needed, but her mother refused to just hand it over for things that she wanted. Her father was a pushover with both her and Ben, especially her, but she was proud of what she could do with making clothing, and liked earning the money herself.

It wasn't like she couldn't come back for anything she forgot, so why was she so nervous? She wasn't being kicked out of the house, and she knew she would be able to come home if things didn't work out. 

No, she wouldn't think like that. It would work out with Mal. It had to, because she was sure that no one else would be willing to room with the girl.

"Ready, Princess?" Her father appeared in the doorway, trying to sound cheerful. "I want you to be settled in before Mal gets there. I've seen what it looks like when you girls get together, and I want to minimize the chaos." He picked up both of her huge suitcases in one hand.

Since it was early on a Saturday morning, campus was pretty much deserted. Some kids went home for the weekends, and some had early practice, but most of them were enjoying sleeping in. Evie was fine with that. For the first time in her life, she didn't want anyone to be looking at her. Especially when she felt like she might cry.

The room that they had been offered was large and airy, with big windows and nice canopy beds. It wasn't as large as the one she had at home, especially for two people, but it was larger then most of the dorm rooms. 

Her father set the suitcases down. "Are you sure about this, Sweetheart? You can still back out and come home."

"I'm sure." She had to be strong, just like her mother thought she was. "I can do this, and I'm ready, I swear."

"Alright." He straightened up and gave her a shaky smile. "I know that you're a young lady now, and that it's time for you to leave the nest, but it's hard for me to see that. You were such a little baby when they brought you to us, and it's hard to let you go."

To hear each of her parents independently tell her how much they still loved her and that they were proud of her did make Evie feel better. "I'm not going anywhere. I'm only a 15 minute carriage ride away, less time if I take a car. I can come back for dinner all the time. Maybe Mal and I will both come."

If he was horrified by the thought, he had the grace not to show it. "That would be great. It won't be too long before I'm out of a job and won't have much to do until the grandkids arrive." He suddenly realized what he had said and his eyes widened. "And don't let that happen too quickly! I'm alight with waiting a very long time for you to meet the right boy and get married."

Evie felt her gut twist. No matter how much her father loved her, he was still thinking ahead to her marrying a man and having babies. The longer she went without telling him the truth, the harder it became to bring up the subject.

Maybe that was why the truth of her adoption had never come up. Because they couldn't bear to look her in the eyes and see the love fading from them when she realized the truth. Letting the lie continue was just easier.

"Ok, enough of that talk. Let's at least get your bed all made up and some of these boxes unpacked. Ben should be by about 3 to help you with the shelves."

Once her bed was made and a few things put on her dresser, the room looked a lot less empty. It wasn't home, but she didn't expect it to be. "I think I'll save the rest until Mal gets here. She and I might decide to move some things around."

Her father recognized the dismissal and held his arms out for a hug. She was glad to give him one, especially since she wouldn't be able to tonight. She had been to sleepovers at Audrey and Lonnie's houses, but she was almost always there to tell her parents goodnight.

"I want you to know that I'm proud of you for what you're doing right now. Mal needs someone to be on her side, and be a good role model for her. I wasn't sure what else I was going to do with her, since she can't stay in the hospital and I don't want anyone rooming alone. I know that I've left you and Jay to help clean up the mess I created so many years ago, and I'm sorry for that."

She hugged him again, because she didn't know how to respond. What could he have done differently? They had tried, but somehow Carlos and Mal had been missed. She still wasn't sure how that had happened. They might know, but neither one of them was telling.

"You did what you could." She couldn't say it was the right thing, because she didn't know. She did know that he had done it because he thought it was right, and, after meeting Mal and especially Carlos, she had to think that it would have been better for both of them to be taken as well. 

Once she was alone, she took a deep breath and looked around. She could do this. But maybe not entirely by herself. She picked up the phone and dialed Jay. He answered groggily. "Hello?"

"Hey. I'm down the hall and I was wondering if you and Carlos wanted to come visit. If he's awake, I mean."

"He's awake." Jay's voice dropped. "He's always awake. I don't know if he sleeps when I'm not here or if he just doesn't but he's awake when I go to bed and awake when I get up in the morning. It's freaky." 

"Well then why don't you guys come over? We can go get some breakfast." She hadn't been able to visit with Carlos since that first day, and she was desperate to see him again. He had agreed to tell her about her mother when she asked, and she didn't want him to change his mind.

Jay spoke in the background, and came back on the line. "He's good with it, but he doesn't want to go to the cafeteria. He's still a little....shy." 

She didn't want to scare him, so she tried again. "How about I walk down to the cafeteria and get something for all three of us, and we meet up in 15 minutes? I'm in 223."

"Cool We'll meet you then." 

Evie wasn't sure what Carlos would like, though, if the gossip was to be believed, it was everything, eaten as fast as possible. She ended up getting him eggs, French toast, and bacon, with fruit and some pastries for dessert. It seemed like an enormous amount of food, but she had seen how both Ben and Jay ate. Carlos might be smaller, but she was willing to bet he could eat just as much.

When she got back the boys were waiting outside her door. Carlos seemed more relaxed the he had a few days ago, and the circles under his eyes weren't as dark. He had to be sleeping somehow. When he saw her he smiled a tiny bit. Or maybe he was just smiling at the food.

She noticed that Jay was still in pajama pants and a long sleeved shirt, though he had brushed his hair and pulled it back. Carlos, on the other hand, was fully dressed in one of the outfits she had made him, including boots, while Jay was barefoot. He was ready to run if he had to.

"Come on in, guys. I brought breakfast. Carlos what sort of juice can I give you? I have orange, apple, and grape." She pointed to each in turn, hoping he would point back.

He didn't, but he did look to Jay for help. Jay shrugged. "You like apples, and you like oranges. If you want to try a sip of the grape, I'll take it if you don't like it."

That seemed to be acceptable and he took a tiny sip of the grape before shaking his head. The orange was acceptable and he settled down with his meal. Evie watched him out of the corner of her eye, curious about how he would handle things. He didn't gulp his food like she had heard he did, but she noticed that he kept a distance from both her and Jay, making sure his body blocked her access. Further study showed her that he was watching Jay as sneakily as she was watching him. Every time Jay took a bite of food, so did Carlos. Interesting. Clearly he was adapting to life in Auradon. Her father was right, she and Jay were going to be good role models.

Jay was completely unaware that he was being watched, or that she was watching Carlos. He was talking on about Tourney, and the game schedule. "What do you think, Carlos? You want to try out for the team? Wear 50 pounds of equipment and get piled on by 5 or 6 guys?"

Carlos looked up and shook his head, a smile lurking around the corners of him mouth. He understood that he was being teased, and seemed fine with it. 

"No? Your going to have to find something for your phys ed credit. Do you like swimming or running?" Another head shake. "What about baseball?" Now Carlos just looked confused. Evie shot Jay a dirty look. Really? Who would he have played with?

"Umm.." Jay gave her a helpless look. "What else is there, Evie?"

She ticked them off on her fingers. "Soccer, Football, Track, Cheerleading, Tourney, Swimming....um.....Horseback Riding.....Dance."

At the mention of dance, he perked up and gave her a the first genuine smile she had seen. "You want to try dance? You have the build for it." It was probably a good choice. Minimal physical contact with other people, and, from what she had heard, he was quite fast and graceful. She could see him being very good at it. "You may not even need Phys Ed, depending on what else the tests show. They might decide that you're better off taking extra classes to catch up."

As soon as the words were out of her mouth, she regretted them. Carlos' face fell, then melted back into his habitually worried look. Clearly he disliked the thought of being behind academically.

Using all of her skills, she moved on. "You and I can still go to Jay's games, though, and cheer him on, right?"

He nodded uncertainly. "Don't worry, I'll make sure people leave you alone."

Jay started talking again, and Evie noticed Carlos quickly slipping one of the pastries into his pocket. It was done so smoothly that she wouldn't have noticed if she hadn't been looking directly at him. It worried her, that he felt like he had to hide food from them. How often had he gone hungry in his life, or had food snatched from him?

Carlos didn't speak at all, but she hadn't been expecting him to. He had had 16 years to grow completely comfortable in his own silence, and it was going to take a while to break it, if it could be done at all. She knew that they hadn't seen a physical problem, but that didn't mean there wasn't one there.

But just because he didn't speak, it didn't mean that he wasn't aware of their conversation and listening intently. When he was directly spoken to, he nodded or shook his head. He laughed silently when Jay told a joke, and, once breakfast was over and he no longer felt that his food was in danger, scooted closer to both of them. He was still out of reach, but the effort was there.

He didn't make eye contact, though. He looked at her, but if she was quick enough to look back, his gaze skittered away. Could he possibly fear her, or was he just not used to eye contact? 

The boys stayed for almost two hours, until Jay had to get ready for Tourney practice. She offered to let Carlos stay, but the look he gave her suggested that she wanted to boil him in oil. As much as she was dying to be able to hear about her mother, she didn't want to push too hard. It was like coaxing a skittish fawn to your hand and she didn't want to rush things and shut him down. 

There was a communal kitchen that everyone on their floor shared, and she had made sure to pack some cheap dishes. She loaded a plate up with the leftover pastries and fruit and handed it over. If Carlos saw that they would give him food willingly, maybe he would feel less like he had to take it. He crept forward and took the plate, tucking it back against his body as if to ensure she would try and take it back.

Her room felt too empty again when they were gone. It was strange, considering that moving out of the nursery she shared with Ben had been one of the happiest days of her life. She had never felt lonely at home.

But she wouldn't be lonely when Mal got here. It would be like having a sleepover, but more exciting. Or it would go down in flames, but Evie was a big believer in being positive. 

"Ready for this?" Ben was leaning against the doorway, and she couldn't help but rush over to give him a hug. He was holding the wood for shelves in one hand, using the ,strength that he hand inherited from their father. She had painted it white last night, so it would fit in and look nice.

"Yes." She pointed. "I'm thinking over here, so the light coming in the windows won't bleach the fabrics.

He was quiet for a few minutes, setting everything up. Then he grinned at her. "So, you want some gossip on your new favorite brother?"

Her new...oh Carlos. "Stop it. He's not my favorite brother, you are. And how did you find out gossip about him?"

"Dad and Fairy Godmother were talking about it in the hall last night. They aren't as quiet as they think they are."

Asking what he knew was a gross invasion of Carlos' privacy, but she couldn't help herself. "What were they saying?"

"That he's smart. Like, scary smart. He blew the top off of the IQ test they gave him."

Ben must have heard wrong. "That's not possible. It just goes until you mess up there isn't any limit."

"Yes there is. It's high, but apparently he hit it. Professor Kropp wants to bring in an extra part to the test so he can keep going and find out how smart Carlos really is. Dad said it was fine but Fairy Godmother said no. So they were arguing about it."

"Why didn't she want him to be tested?" Fairy Godmother was usually all about knowing everything about everyone.

"She said he was too stressed out by the regular testing, and that it didn't matter anyway. I guess once you hit ht level he's at, 10 or 15 or 20 points don't matter that much."

Evie couldn't imagine being so smart that 20 IQ points was nothing. "Are they sure?"

"Yep. Professor Kropp said that he thought that the results would be even higher, except Carlos just doesn't know a lot. He didn't even know what a thermos was. He said that it made the score lower then it should have been."

Or a straw. She had thought Jay was going to cry when he told her about that.

"So what does that mean? Are they going to skip him or put him in advanced classes or what?" 

"Don't know. They aren't really sure what to do with him. Fairy Godmother and Dad both think he'll fall apart if they put him in class with everyone else. They think he'll get picked on."

It was a definite possibility. With no speech and almost no social skills, Carlos was an easy target. She tried to imagine him in a classroom, surrounded by loud, gossipy, strangers, and it wasn't a pretty picture. 

Ben continued on. "Fairy Godmother wants to have him tutored, and maybe do his PE or art credits in a classroom so he gets used to being around people. Then try and ease him into classes. Dad wanted to just leave him alone for right now and not put him in class at all. Kind of let him adjust at his own pace, without having to worry about school. Carlos is 16, though. He has only two years of school left, and what it he's never ready? What happens to him then?"

She wondered what Jay thought would be best, and which Carlos himself would choose. Then she wondered if anyone would even ask him, or if they would just decide for him. "Did you hear anything about Mal?"

He snorted. "That she has the foulest mouth in Auradon. She's smart, too, and she has a better grasp of history and literature then he does. They think her mother was teaching her at home. Carlos just picked up what he could and what he was interested in."

That sounded about right. For a second, Evie wished that she had Mal's bravery and ability to just say what she was thinking. What would happen if she looked her father right in the face and told him to quit prince shopping for her, because she would rather have a princess instead? The thought of it thrilled her. "I wish I could be like that."

"Evil? A bitch? You don't want to be like that, Evie. You want to be like you."

"If she was evil, Dad wouldn't have agreed to take her. And you know he would be furious if he heard you call any girl a bitch. I just want to be braver and more outspoken. I wish I didn't care so much what people thought about me."

Ben was, and had always been, her twin in everything but blood, and he knew exactly what she was saying. "You don't need to be like Mal for that. You just need to tell them. I'll be there for you if you want me to."

What she really wanted was for him to be the one to tell them. She couldn't bear having to see her father's face fall and know that she had caused it. "I'm going to tell him. Just...not right now. When I'm ready, though, I'll appreciate you standing by me."

He smiled. "It will be ok. And if it's not, fuck them. We'll take off for the woods like Hansel and Gretel. I'd be all about a gingerbread house."

She appreciated his good and steadfast nature. "Thanks, Ben." 

They spent the next two hours putting up the shelves and arranging her fabrics until they were perfect. The task was repetitive and helped keep her mind off of Mal, Carlos and all of the trouble that came with them. But eventually there was nothing less to do, and Ben was needed for yet another meeting.

He put a hand on her back. "You're sure you don't want me around for when she gets here? Just as back-up."

"No, it's fine." If she let Ben stay, Mal would act up, just like she always did for an audience. When it was just her and Evie, a sweeter side emerged. A mostly fake side, but Evie could see that Mal was starting to relax more and more, her eyes softening in a way that Evie didn't see with other people. Whether Mal realized it or not, they were bonding.

"Ok, then. Call me and tell me all about how it goes." He was trying to sound cheerful, but his worry was clearly evident. 

"I will." Ok, hopefully this would work.

Her hands trembled a bit, but she hid it by folding them together. It's just Mal, don't be afraid. Or maybe be very afraid. Time would have to tell.

*********

She would not be afraid. Even if she had no idea what was outside of this hospital, or even the door to her room. She had been...indisposed when the arrived, and she had not been allowed to leave. There could be anything out there.

Maleficent was full of stories about the place that would become Auradon, and none of them good. Dragons, sea creatures, a army filled with the best knights and champions in the world. They did nasty things to little girls who were unwise enough to venture out. 

Mal didn't believe those stories, but it was still an unknown. At least on the Island, she had known what to do. She knew the dangers spots, and where to duck and hide if she needed to. She knew who could be stolen from, and which people would cower at the mere mention of her mothers name.

Here, she had nothing. Each person was a mystery. They might be useful, might now. Might be kind, might just be looking for a chance to stab her in the back. The only people she knew were Evie and Carlos, and she didn't really know them either. It was...intimidating, though she still wasn't going to be afraid.

"Are you ready, my Dear?" Fairy Godmother was in the doorway. "They've already put your things in the car."

Maleficent's words echoed in her daughters ears. Do not disappoint me, Mal. Fear is weakness, and you are a daughter of mine. No one should know what you are feeling. 

It helped, and Mal straightened her shoulders. "I'm ready."

Fairy Godmother chattered away during the ride, not seeming to notice that Mal wasn't talking back. She listened, though. She always listened. "Your mother has clearly done a wonderful job with teaching you, and we'll have you enrolled in classes next week. I want both you and Carlos to take a few remedial classes together, just some basic things that you both seem to have missed. I trust that both of you will manage to behave yourselves?"

"Of course." Mal gave Fairy Godmother her sweetest smile. "We'll probably have a bunch of classes together, right? If he bothers me, I'll ignore him instead of cutting him." There, that was a nice and proper response. She was taking the high road.

"I'm not sure where we'll be placing Carlos right now. We'll start with the remedial classes for the two of you and go from there." A line appeared between the woman's eyes and Mal took more notice. Why wouldn't they have the same classes? Was there something wrong with Carlos? Besides the obvious, of course. Or, worse, would he be bumped up because he was so smart? If that was true, he was more dangerous then she thought.

"I'm sure that you and Evie will become good friends. She's a lovely girl, and you can learn a lot from her."

Evie was a lovely girl, maybe the one of the prettiest Mal had seen. And she was sure that she could learn a lot from Evie about being a good girl. But Evie could also learn a lot from her about being rotten to the core. The thought of the corrupting the beautiful princess of Auradon was as big of a thrill as the thought of how pretty sure was. 

"I hope so." She sat back, making sure to keep her knees together and her hands in her lap. She was just like a little Auradon lady.

Auradon looked very different from the Isle. It was sunny and bright, with lots of trees and bushes. And grass. Mal had never seen grass before, except in pictures. She was curious about what it would feel like to walk on, and to touch. There were trees on the Island, the but they were mostly twisted and scrawny. These were healthy and strong.

"Would you like us to detour through town? We can't stop since we're on a pretty tight schedule, but you can see what it looks like."

"That would be lovely." She smiled again, hoping she looked more like a kitten and less like a shark. 

"We don't allow the students free reign, of course, but there are times when you can go downtown in groups. This is one of those weekends, so we should have at least a little privacy to get you settled in. If you need something that can't be brought to you, like clothing, I'll escort you out to help you get it."

"Do you do that for everyone?" Mal couldn't quite figure Fairy Godmother out. The woman obviously didn't trust her, but was going out of her way to do things for and with her. Was it guilt, because she should have taken Mal as a baby? Was she just too nice for her own good?

The woman squirmed a bit. "Well, no. Most of students have their parents escort them. But that's not possible in your case, so I'll be helping out." 

Ah, that made sense. There were restaurants, and clothing stores, and even a candy store. It was very picturesque. People walked and laughed and no one was getting pick pocketed or stabbed. Weird.

The school was huge, more like a castle then anything else. She still wasn't scared (at all! Period.), but her palms were suddenly a little damp. She clutched her small bag and wished that she had her spellbook. "I'm ready."

She would have to carry her own suitcases, but she was used to that. Mal hiked her bag over her shoulder and grabbed them. "Where now?"

There were on the third floor, which was nice. Some of the doors had names on them. Lonnie and Audrey. Chad and Doug. Ally and Harriet. Jay and Carlos. She froze. They had put Carlos just 4 rooms away. Not in a different dorm or even on a different floor. She might not like Carlos, but she did respect his power. He knew how to work on things that exploded or turned dangerous from a far greater distance then that between their rooms.

The door was closed, and it was silent inside. But she knew that Carlos, at least, was in there, just like she was sure he knew she was outside. They had developed a sense about each other's presence. It was survival instinct, the sort that made the back of her neck crawl.

She didn't have time to dwell on it, though, since Evie had already thrown the door open and was gesturing her inside. Good. Carlos wouldn't dare do something in front of witnesses. Maybe on the Isle, where nobody cared, but not now.

The room was huge, easily 3 or 4 times the size of the one she had at the hospital. She could see a private bathroom though a door near the back. "It's so big. And pink." The last part came out without her meaning to, but the room looked like a flower garden had thrown up all over it.

Luckily for her, Evie started laughing. I know, right? Lady Aurora was the patron of this dorm, and she has some very....um....traditionally feminine tastes. We can change it however we like, but it reverts back to pink as soon as we're out of the room."

Mal wanted to ask who's stupid idea that had been, to waste magic to turn a room back into this walking tampon commercial, but she had a strong suspicion that it was Fairy Godmother, so she kept her mouth shut.

Evie gestured. "So, that's your half of the room. Do you need any help unpacking?"

Fairy Godmother nodded and stepped back. "I'll leave you two girls to take care of it. Mal, I'll see you tomorrow for tutoring, and you feel free to call me if you need me. Evie, you, too."

Evie thanked her immediately, and Mal followed suit. Fairy Godmother had to think that she was a nice girl, an Auradon girl. Manners was part of that.

Once the door closed, Mal relaxed a bit. She had already impressed Evie, so she wasn't to concerned about that. She looked more closely, seeing the sewing machine and fabric. "I wouldn't think that a princess would be forced to make her own clothing."

"Oh, I don't have to. But I love it. I make a lot of my own clothes, and I make them for the other girls and some of the boys. It gives me a little money of my own, that I don't have to ask anyone for." She sized Mal up and down. "I could make you some things if you like. You and Carlos have such a cool style."

Mal had never thought of herself as having a particular style, but it was becoming increasingly obvious that she and Carlos were not dressed like everyone else. If Evie was making her own clothing, she had to admit that that girl had some talent. She held out her arms. "Can you do this?"

"Of course." Evie was 100% confident. "I already made Carlos a few things, so yours should be easy. Girls clothes are so much more fun then boys. I'll get some measurements and make some sketches. But let's get you unpacked first."

Mal studied her half of the room. By Island standards, she and her mother were quite wealthy. By Auradon standards? She didn't have enough to fill even a portion of the room. Evie had pictures and little treasures and a bookshelves filled with books. Mal had her art supplies and a few clothes. It wasn't much.

But at least it was something. She packed her clothes into the dresser, where they didn't fill even a small portion, and put her sketchbook and pencils in the desk. Her doll, which she didn't play with and hadn't acknowledged for years, yet still couldn't leave behind, went on the pillow. 

Evie stayed close, but didn't touch any of Mal's stuff without her permission. Good. The princess was quiet for a few minutes, but finally spoke. "We can get you new bedding, too. I thought you might want to choose your own. We can look online and order whatever you want."

She was starting to get nervous, which Mal understood. Fuck, she was a little nervous herself. This was the first time they had really been alone together, without anyone spying on them. This was their real first impression.

This had to be handled very carefully. "That would be cool. It would be nice to have bedding that matches what I'm going to do to the walls."

It was a test. Evie had all but promised her the ability to work on her art and paint the walls of their shared room. Would she back out on that promise now? No one on the Isle would dream of keeping such a stupid promise, but things were different here. Well, supposedly.

"Do you know what you want to do to them? You can use whatever colors you want, but remember that my family is going to be visiting and you'll have Fairy Godmother coming in, so try to keep the obscenities and innuendos to a minimum."

That was probably the nice way of saying that Evie had seen Mal's 'Long Live Evil' logo on her suitcases, and that it was not appropriate for their walls. "I don't know. I'd like to sketch a few things out."

She had to phrase the next part delicately, so as not to arouse suspicion. "So, dinner. How do we do that."

"Well....." Evie drug the word out thoughtfully. "We could walk down the cafeteria if you were comfortable. Or if you'd rather, I could pick something up for us. We could even invite the boys over for dinner. They came over for breakfast. What do you think?"

There was nothing Mal would like less, but she sensed that it was important to Evie and she didn't want to look bad by saying no. "Sure."

"Great, lets go get them." She bounced up and took Mal's hand. "I didn't think that you might be hungry."

Mal was less hungry and more shocked. She didn't do holding hands. She didn't do being touched at all. But Evie had done with without thinking and without hesitation, and Mal couldn't help but wonder if there wasn't something to it after all.

Carlos and Jay's door was still closed, and no one responded to Evie's knock. She furrowed her brow. "I wonder if Jay's still at practice." She raised her voice a bit. "Carlos? Hey, Mal and I are going to dinner. Do you want to join us?"

Silence. Like Carlos was really going to say anything. Mal stepped closer to the door. "Do you want us to bring you something back? I'm sure Evie has a key if you don't want to come out."

It sounded sweet but it wasn't. She was letting Carlos know that she was here, and that Evie was hers now. Carlos had no right to get close to the Princess, or even be in her presence. And if he decided to push things? Remember, you little fucker, we have a key to your room, the only safe place you have.

She couldn't have said why she felt so possessive over Evie, other then simple not wanting Carlos to have her. He wouldn't go anywhere near most people, unless he was working on a piece for them, and the fact that he had been in her room this morning, allowing Evie close was unsettling to her. 

Ok, fine. The issue was jealousy. Carlos had Jay to coddle and feed him. Not that he couldn't feed himself, but everyone seemed content to infantilize him. Fairy Godmother softened when she talked about him, the King had been to visit him several times, and he had gotten out of the hospital first. Even Evie seemed to like him, and Mal had to put a stop to that shit immediately. Evie was her only ally here, and she wasn't going to let Carlos fuck that up, like he fucked up everything else for her.

There was no sound from inside the room, and Mal knew that Carlos had gotten the message. Evie shrugged. "Maybe he's asleep. Jay said he hasn't been sleeping much. I'll just text Jay and let him know to bring something back after practice."

People stared at them when they entered the cafeteria, but Mal couldn't say she was surprised. She was fresh meat here, new blood. It was natural for them to want to size her up. 

So she walked with her head high and her shoulders back. She was better then them. She was stronger, she was growing in the use of her magic daily, and she had the Princess on her side. It didn't even occur to her to be intimidated or afraid.

That didn't' mean that she wasn't cautious, though. There were a lot of people here, and they were all strangers. They could easily gang up on her and Evie. Even if they didn't do that, they still knew her and she didn't know a thing about them.

Fortunately, Evie knew everyone, and introduced her to them. Mal remembered to be ladylike and polite, greeting each one individually and committing their names to memory. Jane was obviously shy and easily intimidated. Lonnie was friendly and outgoing, complimenting Mal on her hair. Harriet was clearly curious about her, as was Yzla. Some of them, like Freddie or Clay, back off immediately, almost as if they were afraid. They looked at her differently then the others.

Then it hit her. These were the kids that had been stolen from the Island as babies and toddlers. They looked at Mal, and they saw the reflection of what they could have been. She was the monster under the bed.

She pitied them. Taken from the lives and families that they should have had to be raised in a proper little jail cell. Life on the Island might have been hard, but at least she was free. She had learned to depend on herself, to fight for everything she had, to carry out a scheme. These were children, soft and pampered. Mal was pretty much an adult.

Several people invited them (and by them, she meant Evie, of course) to sit at their table, but she refused graciously. "Right now, my new roommate and I need some girl time to get to know each other. Soon, though, I promise."

It was claiming behavior, just like Mal herself had claimed Evie to Carlos just a few minutes before. Whether she realized it or not, Evie was telling everyone that Mal belonged to her and not to mess with her. It was a comfort, even if Mal was more then capable then taking care to herself. 

The cafeteria smelled wonderful, and Mal was shocked by the amount of food present. She could have a hot or cold sandwich with several type of bread. She could have some sort of pasta dish. She could make a bowl of cereal for herself. There was soup and pastries and plenty of fruit, including types she had never seen before. The sheer amount was staggering. Just what she saw on some of the students plates could have fed her and her mother for days, if not an entire week. 

Evie showed her how to get a plate and silverware. "Don't eat the spaghetti. Trust me on this one, it's pretty gross."

It still looked better then pretty much anything she had eaten at home, but Mal just nodded. What was she supposed to choose? How could the kids here just walk around, talking and laughing as if this amount of food wasn't something completely amazing?

Mal wasn't picky, so she just followed Evie and chose similar things. A hot sandwich filled with cheese (yellow cheese, without any green spots), some fruit, and juice in a glass. "If there's something you don't like, just put it to the side. We can always go back and get more."

They would throw away perfectly good food just because it tasted bad? Not because it was rotten enough to make you sick instead of just a little moldy, but just because you didn't like the taste? Her mother was right. They were a bunch of idiots here.

Before she had left for Auradon, Maleficent had been sure to school her in sitting like a lady, and easting with correct manners. Don't' gulp it, don't talk with food in your mouth, use the utensils. For evil's sake, Mal, keep your knees together when you sit. They're already going to think that you're a whore. Don't give them any more ammunition.

It was a lot to remember, but all she had to do was look at Evie when she got confused. That girl was the epitome of ladylike. All the things that Mal could barely remember seemed to come so naturally to her. Not only dining etiquette, but being polite to people and putting them at ease, something Mal had to admit she could use a little work at. 

There were certainly things to be learned her in Auradon, things that she would be able to use when she was a ruler herself. She snuck a sideways glance at Evie. Or she could just stay herself, and convince Evie that evil advisor to the new Queen was her perfect role.

Yeah, she liked that. Actually, Mal liked that idea a lot.

********

Jay was suddenly the most popular boy at Auradon Prep. He was used to a certain amount of attention. He was a star Tourney player, and the best friend of the Princess. Girls (and sometimes boys) liked his smile and tried to flirt with him. Sometimes he got attention for the sole fact that he was one of the kids from the Island, and people seemed to expect that that would show somehow. Which was silly. He didn't remember being on the Island at all. He was from Auradon, and he was Aladdin and Jasmine's son, Aziz's brother. Where he was born made absolutely no difference.

But this was something else. Everyone wanted to know about Carlos. What was he like? Did he talk? Because they had heard he didn't talk. Was Jay afraid to share a room with him? Was he cute? Did he wear fur, like his mother? Was he going to be in their classes? When could they meet him?

Jay fumbled through the answers as best as he could. Carlos was fine, he was shy. No, he didn't talk. Of course he wasn't afraid to share a room, Carlos was just a kid like them. He didn't know which classes Carlos would be in, or when. It was hard to answer without feeling as if he was betraying Carlos and his privacy. The kid had shown him almost nothing, and Jays selfishly wanted to hoard the few things that Carlos had let him see close. What was he supposed to say? 'Yeah, he didn't know what a straw was and I had to teach him how to give a thumbs up, but he's doing great, no worries.'?

What he was able to share did satisfy most of them. Carlos and Mal were big news now, but they wouldn't be in a few weeks. Ben would break up with Audrey (again), or someone would get caught cheating, either on a test or a girlfriend. If they were especially lucky, someone would get pregnant and end up as 9 months of gossip.

The locker room was a different story, though. Chad had no issue with pushing things. "So, how's living with deVil?"

"It's fine. He's pretty cool." Jay yanked his should pads over his head. "Nervous, but I'd be nervous, too, if I were him."

Anyone else would have let it go there, but this was Chad, who had been Jay's roommate for two years now. "Is he nervous or is he totally fucked up?"

The words were harsh but the tone wasn't. Chad could be a little stuck on himself, and Jay had no idea how he hadn't been caught cheating on his homework yet, but he was a nice guy underneath. Even though they weren't roommates any longer, he would abide by the roommate code and not gossip. The only other person he could talk to about Carlos was Evie, but she had Mal to worry about right now. "A little of both. I mean...he just won't talk and I don't know how to help him. He dropped a tray yesterday and he actually thought I was going to hit him over it. He was shaking." The memory made his eyes sting all over again. Carlos had so little right now, and he didn't even feel like he could trust Jay not to hurt him.

"Won't talk or can't talk?" Chad rummaged through his bag, looking for his mouthgaurd. 

"Can't, I think. Evie says that his mom wrote a letter and said that he's never, ever, talked. Not even when he was a little kid. The only reason a little kid wouldn't talk is if they can't."

"Or because they've had the shit beaten out of them for doing the wrong thing. Sometimes my Mom wouldn't talk to the Lady of the House, either. When everything you say or do is wrong, maybe it's better to just not do anything."

Who would have thought that Chad Charming would understand Carlos better then Jay? He hadn't even seen Carlos yet! For some reason, that really irritated him. "Bullshit. Even if that's true, he would have had to talk at least one time. She said never."

Chad shrugged. "Just a suggestion. You would think that it would be easier that way. If he can't talk, there's really no way to change that. If it's just that he won't, he can always start."

That made sense, and Chad was probably right. But that only made him angrier. "That would mean he's crazy instead of just not able to talk. He's not crazy. He just needs a little time to adjust, that's all. You wouldn't make it on the Island at all."

Chad put his hands up. "Ok, ok. No one said crazy. It's smart, really. Laying low until you have control of the situation. I'm just saying not to get too focused on the idea that he can't do it, when he might be able to once he feels comfortable."

Jay ran his fingers through his hair. "I know, I know. I'm sorry, Dude, I don't know why I got so defensive over it." What was wrong with him? Chad hadn't said anything wrong, and had actually been pretty cool about basically being kicked out of his own room for Carlos.

"You really don't, do you?" Chad finally found everything and got ready to go out to the field. "At first I thought you were just in denial or some shit, or just didn't want to tell me, but you genuinely have no clue." He laughed and turned away. "You're in for a huge shock, Jay."

He was gone before Jay could get him to clarify. What sort of shock? Clearly it had nothing to do with Carlos, since Chad had just implied that this had been going on since before Carlos was in the picture. Weird.

Tourney practice was awesome, as always. Jay did alright in school, though he was no genius, but he was good Tourney player. If he could just get a little better at working out the plays, he could be Coach's right hand man.

Jay kept an eye on Chad for the rest of practice, but the other boy had nothing else to say. He didn't avoid Jay, but he didn't go out of his way to approach him, either. Whatever his big secret was, he wasn't going to reveal it just yet. It was driving Jay crazy, but he knew Chad well enough to know that he wasn't going to get any additional information.

Evie had texted him while he was at practice, letting him know that Carlos hadn't answered the door for her an Mal and was probably hungry. Jay fired one back, telling her not to worry, that he would stop by the cafeteria and get Carlos something.

It was probably a good thing that he hadn't gone to lunch with the girls. He had a suspicion that the Carlos and Mal were not going to do well together at all, and having both him and Evie there to hold them back would probably be a good thing.

Since he still wasn't sure what Carlos would like to eat (though it seemed like it was everything except mayonnaise), Jay just picked a variety of stuff that he liked. He would let Carlos try everything and eat what was left over. The kid was way too skinny, so he made sure to get a lot of food and plenty of dessert.

His hands were too full to get to his key, so he had to knock on the door. "Hey, Carlos? I've got lunch."

In contrast to when Evie tried it earlier, Jay immediately heard shuffling and the door popped open. Whether Carlos was excited about Jay or the food was a matter of debate, but he did off a shy smile. "Hey, Dude, what've you been up to?"

Carlos shrugged, eyes locked on the food. Jay had to laugh a little. "Are you excited to see me or lunch?"

The dark eyes narrowed and Carlos pointed quickly between them before giving him a quick smile. "Both?" Carlos nodded seriously at his guess.

"Well, that's something, at least." Jay walked further into the room, noticing the strange smell for the first time. It smelled like....burning? No, it smelled like when his old laptop charger had started shorting out and smoking. "Do you smell that?"

Another shrug, but this time his new roommate was looking away. Carlos knew exactly where that smell was coming from. "Ok, how about this: is something on fire?" When Carlos shook his head, he continued on. "Was something on fire?" Another shake. "Then lets worry about it later."

Carlos was still suspicious, his body tense and ready to run, but he was lured in by the food and came to sit on the floor by Jay. "This is spaghetti. Mom makes it better, but it's pretty good for school food. The bread goes with it. 

This was the first time he had seen Carlos with something that he couldn't just pick up and eat. The kid handled his fork awkwardly, a lot like Chad's little brother had when he was just learning to use it. It was surprising, considering how light fingered Carlos was with everything else. Jay wondered if anyone actually sat him down at a table at home, or if he just grabbed whatever he could steal or find and ate with his hands. Then he thought about all the rumors he had heard over the years about how crazy Cruella was and thought that it might be better for Carlos is she hadn't paid him any attention. "I brought another sandwich, too, in case you didn't like the spaghetti. Evie says it's nasty, but I think it's pretty good. Make sure you have some fruit, too. It's good for you."

He strongly suspected that nutrition had not been high on Carlos' list of priorities on the Island, but he was supposed to be gaining weight and getting healthy here. He couldn't do that without good nutrition. 

Luckily, Carlos was a good eater and happily ate the fruit provided. In a day or two, Jay would try bringing in some vegetables. Carlos seemed to at least trust that Jay wasn't about to poison him, which was better then nothing. Jay waited until the tight shoulders relaxed before speaking again. "So, there's something I wanted to talk to you about."

Carlos flicked his eyes in Jay's direction, making eye contact for a few seconds before looking away. It was an improvement over the first day, when he wouldn't look at Jay at all. Jay took that as an indication that Carlos was listening and was ready to hear what Jay had to say. "It's about Mal."

His companion tensed and actually stopped eating, narrowing his eyes and clenching his hands into fists. It was not a good start. Jay pushed on. "Evie and I would really like it if the two of you would try to get along. You don't have to like each other, but maybe don't try and kill each other?"

Carlos worked his jaw back and forth, and appeared to be thinking, but he didn't nod or shake his head. Jay went below the belt. "Please? I know that it would mean a lot to Evie if the four of us could hang out."

For some reason, Carlos was showing a lot of interest in Evie.. He seemed to be happy when she was mentioned, and he had willingly followed Jay to her room this morning. Jay had a feeling that Carlos was harboring a serious crush. Finally, he nodded.

Jay had to be sure. "No fight fights?" 

Carlos nodded again, going back to eating his lunch. "No knives?" A third nod. "No weapons of any kind?"

This time the nod was much slower in coming, and Jay had a horrible suspicion that Carlos had been forming a rather nasty plot in the back of his mind while still adhering to Jay's rules. "Carlos, please? For Evie and I?"

Thumbs up, and Jay felt ridiculously proud for teaching Carlos that. "Thanks, Bud. I won't let her do anything to you, either. We'll work up to the two of you being friends."

One eyebrow quirked up (and for the first time, Jay noticed that his brows didn't follow the same black to white pattern that the rest of his hair did. Weird), and the other boy's face melted into an expression that said he was convinced that Jay was an idiot. Mal was not, and never would be, his friend. 

Jay decided to just move on. If Carlos and Mal could learn to get along and be friends, great. If they only tolerated each other, then that was it. "Was lunch good?" Carlos nodded at him. "Cool. I'm going to hop in the shower, and when I get out, I'll show you how to play some video games." He was also planning on pushing the matter of where that smell had come from, but no need to say that right now.

He peeled off his Tourney uniform, wrinkling his nose that the smell. There was no way to get another day of practice out of that one. Luckily he had more then one. 

Usually he didn't take too long in the shower, but he had...issues he needed to take care of. He hadn't been kidding when he told Evie that Carlos never slept. Sure, he went to bed at the same time as Jay did, but Jay could hear him moving around under the bed, unable to relax. Jay wanted to help, but he knew that acknowledging things would only make Carlos upset. No matter what happened, Carlos was always convinced that it was his fault. But if Carlos was awake, there was no way Jay was going to...get busy with himself. The thought was mortifying.

But he couldn't do it here either. What the fuck! He had never had this problem when he roomed with Chad. He would do it in the bathroom, and even in his bed at night once he was sure Chad was asleep. So why was it different with Carlos? The kid was very respectful, and would never come in the bathroom with Jay in there. But Jay couldn't relax and get in the mood.

More frustrated then ever, he pulled on some pajamas and stepped out of the bathroom, toweling his hair off roughly. Carlos was at his desk moving little bits of wire and metal around. So he had gotten into his new kits after all. 

It wasn't so much the sorting that caught Jay's attention, though, as it was the noise he was making. It was a low grumble, almost a growl, and it seemed to vibrate out of the smaller boy's chest. As soft as it was, it was still a contrast to the complete silence he had shown Jay so far. "Hey, I'm done."

Carlos jumped sharply, and the noise stopped. Did he even know he was doing it? Smoothly, he swept the pieces back into his drawer and looked at Jay expectantly. Jay sat down on the edge of his bed, trying to look nonthreatening. "So what were you up to all day?"

There was a pause, while Carlos flicked his eyes up to Jay's holding them for a few seconds before looking away. He was obviously trying to determine whether or not Jay could be trusted. He must have found what he was looking for, because he stood up and retrieved something form under his bed, holding it up so Jay could see.

It was....not a robot. Not a car. Not a clock. Nothing like what the boxes had shown. But it had been skillfully welded together, so Jay had to assume that it was something. "Cool. What is it?"

For the first time, Jay was treated to a dazzling, confident, smile, and it almost stopped his heart. Carlos was cute kid normally, but when he really smiled, he was gorgeous. Carlos pushed a button, and the TV flickered on. Another one turned on the Xbox. A third turned off the overhead lights. Then he pushed a fourth, and Jay's laptop hummed to life. Holy shit, he had somehow wired their entire dorm room together. 

He had thought that Carlos might be smart. There was a spark in his eyes that said he missed nothing, and he had certainly remembered everything that Jay had told or shown him. But this was an entirely different level. This might be freaking genius. "That's amazing. You really did all of that with just what Anita gave you?"

A quick nod, and Carlos gave him another smile. The he pushed the fifth button and the shower turned on. No fucking way. "How did you even do that?"

Carlos shrugged and hit the buttons again, turning everything back off. "That might be the coolest thing I've ever seen. You just made that out of the kits and your own head?" 

His roommate nodded and set the remote control back on the desk. "You know how amazing that is, right? I don't think anyone else could to that, and that includes the teachers. And how did you get it to turn the shower on?"

Jay wasn't really sure why he was asking. Carlos wasn't going to answer him. But, come on, this was awesome! "Could you get it to turn on other things?"

A quick nod and Jay started forming a plan. He counted at least 4 unused buttons on Carlos' invention which meant he could go a lot of places with this. "How far can you make it reach?"

Carlos thought for a minute, the gestured around the room then held his hands out as far as he could. Jay thought for a second and spoke again. "More then this room?" Carlos nodded. "More then four rooms?" Another nod. "How would you like to get the girls? Can you imagine how funny it would be if they were sitting in their room and the shower suddenly started turning on and off? They would flip out!"

It occurred to him that he was already speaking as though the four of them were some sort of group. They weren't, considering that two of them couldn't even be in the same room together yet, but it seemed like a start. Carlos seemed to think on it, then nodded, giving Jay a quick smile. It wasn't the dazzling one from earlier, but it was still cute. "We can talk about that more later, though. I promised you video games, and I'm going to keep that one."

Another tiny smile quirked on Carlos' lips and he picked the remote back up, turning the TV and Xbox back on. Ok, then, he was ready.

As it turned out, Carlos picked up gaming very quickly. He had a mind for strategies, and a good memory for the buttons and what they did. They were having so much fun, that Jay decided to skip dinner in the cafeteria and order a pizza instead. Pizza was yet another thing that Carlos had never experienced, but he made up for it by inhaling five of the eight pieces. Jay let him have them, since it made him happy to see the joy on the other boys face. That smile was proof that being here in Auradon was good for Carlos. Maybe he would never talk, maybe he wouldn't go to class with the rest of them or be less shy, but he could be happy here, in their dorm room, and maybe that was enough.

They played until well after dark, which was probably why Jay didn't notice the wind picking up and the air becoming charged. They were both already dressed for bed, the game saved and shut down for the night. All he had to do was finish up. Carlos stood at his side, brushing his teeth. It had only been a few days, and he was already growing more comfortable.

The room light brilliantly with lightning, and thunder boomed. For a second, the lights flickered, and Jay jumped. Carlos startled as well, bouncing out of the bathroom.

Jay sighed and ran a brush through his hair, pulling it back for the night. So Carlos feared storms, great.

But when he stepped back into the bedroom, Carlos was standing in the window, lit up by flashes of lightning. He didn't look afraid. In fact, he looked more energized then Jay had seen him yet. His eyes were sparkling in a way that made him look borderline insane. 

He was also fully dressed. "Going somewhere?"

Carlos nodded and hopped down, heading for the door. Was he seriously thinking about going out in this? "Whoa, Dude! We can't go out there. It's past curfew."

He didn't know why he bothered. Carlos already had the door open, and was halfway out. If he lost the kid now....

Then Carlos stopped, and gestured Jay forward. "I don't think so. I think you need to get back in here and go to bed. We're going to be in so much trouble if we get caught."

Carlos didn't need speech to make his point clear. The rolling eyes and gusty sigh said that the though Jay was being a wimp. He looked out into the hallway, and back at Jay, then held out his hand. The invitation was there. Come with me, Jay. It will be fun.

There were a million reasons why this was a bad idea, but Jay couldn't think of any right now. Carlos wanted out of their dorm room. He wanted Jay to come with him, which meant he enjoyed Jay's company. He was even willing to touch Jay to get what he wanted.

Before he could talk himself out of it, Jay grabbed the outstretched hand.

*******

Thank Maleficent that was over with. Not that Carlos wouldn't have gone without Jay, because he had no problem with it, but it was certainly in his best interest to invite the taller boy along. He was good back up and muscle, and he had the advantage of knowing his way around in a way that Carlos didn't. Not to mention having him along prevented him from running to the nearest adult and ratting Carlos out. This way, they were both guilty, and that bound them into secrecy together.

He like the rain, and like it even better when it was storming. The thunder covered up any noises he made, hiding him from other people in the marketplace. Even better, storms gave Cruella migraine headaches, so she left him to his own devices. Best of all, the extra electricity in the air made everything he worked on work better. Yes, stormy days were Carlos' favorite days. 

Here in Auradon, he didn't have to worry about Cruella and her moods, and he had all the electricity and parts he needed for his inventions. But he could still use the storm as cover, which made this a good time to venture out. The rest of the students would be in for the night, which just left the teachers, who were undoubtedly roaming the halls. He wasn't afraid of them.

"You better have a really good excuse planned out for when they catch us." Jay's voice was down to a whisper. "Because my Mom will kill me if I get in trouble again."

They wouldn't get caught. Carlos was good at moving silently and blending into the background. He wasn't sure what the consequences of being out past curfew were here, but he was willing to be that they were nothing compared to the potential consequences on the Island. 

Well, he thought, he wouldn't get caught if he was alone. If Jay didn't keep him mouth shut, he was going to alert everyone in this school.

Now that he was out, he wasn't sure which way to go. The hallway extended in both directions, and he could see an exit sign at the end of each. He was left-handed, so he made a quick decision to turn left. He had an excellent ability to mentally map out his route, so he wouldn't get lost the next time, when he was by himself. 

Jay followed him, wisely keeping close and whispering. "Down the stairs. If we take the elevator, someone will hear us."

Smart. Carlos eased the door at the top of the stairs open and slid through, holding it so Jay could follow him, then letting it fall shut with the tiniest of clicks. They were getting out of here, whether Jay knew it or not. 

He moved quickly and quietly. 3 flights of stairs down and the were almost at the front door. Good, he had remembered it correctly. He had his hand on the handle when Jay spoke again. "Dude, it's dark and it's getting ready to rain! Can't we do this tomorrow?"

The fact that it was dark and getting ready to rain was the main reason they were doing it now. They would be the only ones out there. He wasn't going to baby Jay along, though. Jay could be counted on not to rat Carlos out, since he would have to admit that he not only didn't stop Carlos from leaving the room after curfew, but he had accompanied him to the door. Carlos huffed and stepped outside, the wind was whipping, and he tipped his face to it contentedly. He wasn't used to being cooped up inside all the time.

The door closed behind him and Jay appeared at his side. "Well, since we're both going to be on restrictions for the foreseeable future, I might as well show you around."

Carlos couldn't help but smile a bit. Jay might like to pretend that he was just another Auradon kid, but he wasn't. Deep down, he had the Island in his blood. He wanted the wind, and the rain, and the adventure, just like Carlos did. They could suppress him here, but never change him. 

Jay had longer legs then he did, so Carlos had to move quickly to keep up. "So, that's our dorm from the outside, our room is somewhere up there." He gestured vaguely at the side of the building.

Carlos knew exactly which window it was, and which one was Evie and Mal's, too. The light was still on, and he wondered if Mal was trying to get out as well. Hopefully not. He couldn't imagine much worse then running into her out here, unless it was running into his mother.

Jay was still talking. "That's where the cafeteria is, so if you ever want something and Evie and I aren't around to get it for you, go there. Don't worry about money, it's all automatic That's the science building, you'll probably like it there. That one is for art, and that one is maths and English lit."

He could remember all of that. No one had said anything else about him being able to go to school, but he was at least a little hopeful that he would be able to. He had quit going to school on the Island. With his small size and lack of ability to fight back, he was an easy target for bullies. He wasn't learning anything that he couldn't pick up on his own anyway, especially once he started making a profit on his inventions. But he was still curious about what school would be like here, and if it would be anything like Darling promised it would.

Fairy Godmother said that they would have a meeting soon about him and getting everything together for him. That meant school, and the therapist to see if he was going to be crazy like Cruella, and the speech therapist who would try and make him talk, and anyone else that they decided he needed. Probably some more doctors, since there were no shortage of ones wanting to look at him. Carlos had never been to a doctor in his life, and it seemed like Auradon had one for everything. There had been two of them that first night, but he hadn't seen them since. There had been other doctors though, who looked at his eyes and his ears and his teeth. They measured his height and his weight and asked all kind of embarrassing questions about his body that he wasn't going to answer. 

"Come on, might as well give you the full tour." Jay nudged him gently to change directions. Normally that was a pretty unforgivable offense, but Carlos was too busy thinking to really notice. 

"These are the fair grounds. We use them for things like the carnival and Parent's Day..." Jay kind of trailed off there, looking uncomfortable. It wasn't like Cruella would be coming to Parent Day. Not that Carlos cared. He would be perfectly happy to never lay eyes on her again. He shrugged at Jay, hoping the other boy would get the message.

"Anyway, this is where we play Tourney and-shit!" The last word was cut off as he saw the figure making it's way across the field, flashlight sweeping back and forth. "We're busted" The words were hissed.

No they weren't. Carlos had been tracking the man for at least 2 minutes, and he hadn't seen them yet. If they just kept on the track they were on, the three of them would miss each other entirely. Between the wind and the thunder that was starting to rumble, there was no way for them to be heard, either. 

Jay's hand was locked on his shoulder, though, so he turned sharply and pulled them both behind a set of bleachers. For anyone else, he wouldn't have bothered, but he didn't really like the thought of making Jay upset. Carlos wasn't used to considering the feelings of other people, so it was strange to him to think about it now. He took Cruella's moods into account, since crossing her when she was in the wrong one was dangerous, and he sometimes listened to and sat with Darling because it made her want to bring him things, but there was no upside for him with Jay. So why did he care?

Sure enough, the man walked on. Jay relaxed and gave him a strange look. "Are you some sort of ninja? Because that was amazing."

Carlos had no idea what a ninja was, but he guessed it was someone sneaky. He wasn't one. Any kid from the Island, even those much younger then him, would have been able to avoid that guard. It was simple survival, and he couldn't believe that they didn't teach their kids that here. Especially since they seemed to value their kids so much. He shrugged and stood up. Jay took the hint and kept them moving.

"Anyway, this is the Tourney field. They put the cannons in at night, so it's not as exciting as it is during game day, but you'll be able to see them in action soon."

The word 'cannons' did make the whole idea of Tourney seem much more exciting to Carlos. He liked the sound of them going off in the harbor. Usually that meant the barges were coming in, and he could get something good for one of his inventions. It was simple science to figure out how far away they were. You just have to know basic angles and velocity and he could be one of the first ones there.

There was a final crack of thunder and the sky opened up, pouring rain down on both of them. Jay laughed and held up his arms. "Ok, can we go back inside now? We can go back out again, even tomorrow if you want, but we're going to freeze. Especially you. Do you even own long pants?"

He did now. There were clothes that had appeared in his drawer that included both jeans and trousers, but he hadn't worn any of them. He wasn't exactly sure why that was, but he knew he didn't like them.

That didn't mean that he didn't get cold sometimes, and he was already starting to feel it. So he decided to give Jay a chance to prove himself. They would see what happened tomorrow night, if Jay would keep his promise. Part of him hoped that Jay would, because they hadn't been able to see all the things that Carlos wanted to on campus. But another, maybe even larger, part hoped that he wouldn't. Because no one ever kept their promises to him, because nobody cared about him. If Jay kept his promise, it meant he liked Carlos and wanted to make him happy, and the thought of that was almost sickening. He just had no idea how to deal with that thought.

He was so focused on that thought that he jumped a mile when Jay wrapped something around him. Reflexively, he yanked his arms up and dropped his head down to protect his throat.

"Easy." Jay gently pulled his arms down, and, for the first time, Carlos let him. He didn't fully relax, but he did allow Jay to pull his arms through the sleeves of the hoodie and zip it up. "There. Now you won't freeze before we get back to the room."

Again, Carlos wasn't sure how to react. There was no reason for Jay to give up his jacket, especially since it left him in just a sleeveless shirt. Now he would be the one who was cold. But he hadn't even hesitated to keep Carlos warm.

He puzzled over Jay's odd behavior for the entire walk back. Finally he just gave up and concluded that there was something Jay wanted, but hadn't told him about yet. It made sense. People were always nicer to him right before they asked him to make something for them.

By the time they snuck back into their dorm (and he had been correct, no one even came close to catching them), the jacket was pretty wet, and Jay was soaked to the skin. But the other boy was laughing about it, shaking his wet hair out of his face. They put on dry pajamas. "Well you're officially more fun then Chad. I'm going to hang our wet stuff up so it will dry for tomorrow and then I'm ready for bed. Right?"

Finally, Carlos knew the right answer. He nodded quickly, and crawled under the bed, fussing with his blankets until they were exactly right. Even though Jay still confused him, he had to admit that it had been nice to have a companion with him, if for no other reason then he provided and extra set of eyes to watch for danger.

For the first time since he had arrived in Auradon, Carlos deVil closed his eyes and slept easy.


	11. Chapter 11

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Everyone please stand up and give a round of applause to my new beta AliceWhitmore! She had been gracious enough to fix all of the little mistakes that I never see until I post the boogery thing.   
> 2nd: I apologize for the lateness of this chapter. You know what's a really good idea? Saving your work. Even better? Saving it to a thumb drive in addition to the laptop. You know what's a really bad idea? Leaving said thumb drive sticking out of the USB port so when your cat knocks the laptop over, it severs several important inner workings, causing the thumb drive to not only break, but the actual laptop to catch on fire at the repair shop. Almost 3/4ths of this chapter had to be rewritten.

It's unlikely I'll ever submit to a psychiatrist's couch. I don't want some stranger prowling around through my psyche, monkeying with my id. I don't need an analyst to tell me that I have never had any sense of security. Who has?  
~ Tallulah Bankhead ~

 

“Well if you hadn’t decided to punch Pin in the face like some sort of asshole, we wouldn’t be in this situation, now would we?” Evie was trying, and failing, to hide the irritation in her voice. Jay made a small sound of protest, and she just knew he was making those sad puppy eyes, the ones that caused every girl in Auradon to swoon.

Unfortunately for him, Evie was immune to pitiful sighs and sad eyes. “Don’t even start. I do not get what is with you boys and beating the crap out of each other for fun. I will keep Carlos with me while you are serving your detention and while Mal is at the therapist. Then I’ll switch them out, and hopefully keep them from killing each other in the hallway outside Dr. Doppler’s office. It’s not ideal, but you had to go ahead and make everything 10 times harder then it needed to be. What's gotten into you?”

He gave another sad sigh, “He was saying mean things about Carlos.”

“So you punched him? Carlos couldn’t hear it, and probably wouldn’t care if he could hear it,” to be completely honest, she wasn’t sure that Carlos cared what she and Jay said about him. He was strangely detached from them in a way that even Mal wasn’t.

“I know, I know. I don’t know what it is about that kid. I lost it on Chad over him yesterday too, and Chad didn’t even say anything that bad.”

“Well, just take a cue from Carlos and let it roll off your back. If it bothers him, I’m sure he’ll let us know,” not that it didn’t enrage her, and not that she wasn’t planning about a million ways to make Pin suffer, but she wasn’t going to tell Jay that. “Mal has to be at her appointment in a little bit, but you can drop him off when I get back. I’m assuming he’s awake already?” That kid had to sleep sometime, right?

“He’s awake. He’s brushing his teeth.”

“Tell him to be ready, then,” she worried about Carlos almost as much as she worried about Mal. On the surface, he was taking being in Auradon much better. He was calmer, less aggressive and his lack of speech meant that he never talked back like Mal did.

But he was so small and quiet that she felt like he was getting overlooked. He didn’t really engage with anyone besides her and Jay, which made people just give up. And the worst part was, that seemed to make Carlos happy. He liked being ignored and left out. Maybe it felt safer to him, or maybe he genuinely didn’t need anyone else, but it was kind of scary. At least Mal made you notice her.

“Thanks, Evie. I owe you one.”

“You owe me more then one. I’ll see you in a few minutes,” she hung up the phone and sighed. Boys.

“So is Jay your boyfriend?” Mal didn’t even try to act like she hadn’t been listening in, “Because you talk to him like he’s your boyfriend.”

The thought was so ludicrous that Evie couldn’t help but laugh, “No, Jay is not my boyfriend. He’s just my best friend.”

“Hmm. You do an awful lot of favors for a guy who’s just a friend. What does he do back for you?”

It was times like these that Evie remembered just how different she and Mal were. In Mal’s world, a favor was only done with the expectation of getting something back. There was no being kind for the sake of it. “He does all kinds of things back for me. Maybe not right away, but eventually.”

Mal gave another discontented huff, “Why does Carlos have to come here? I don’t want him touching any of my stuff.”

Both Mal and Carlos were extremely, even overly, possessive over their stuff. But why shouldn’t they be? They were used to fighting for everything they got, and even then it wasn’t much, “He has to come here because Jay has detention, and he won’t know where to go by himself. He won’t bother any of your stuff. If you would like, I can keep him on my side of the room only.”

“I would like,” Mal’s eyes fixed on hers and Evie thought that she saw a tiny bit a green in their depths. “I know that none of you believe me, but Carlos is trouble. He acts cute and sweet and innocent, and that’s how he draws you in. When it comes right down to it, he’ll do whatever it takes to get what he wants, including screwing you over.”

“Must be an Island trait then,” Evie kept her voice light, but firm. Mal got belligerent if she was outright corrected, but having nice manners seemed surprisingly important to her. If Evie subtly let her know that she had messed up, it wouldn’t be repeated. “Don’t worry; I’ll have my eye on him.”

It wasn’t that she disbelieved Mal about Carlos either. He had had survived 16 years on the Island with what seemed to be minimal help. She might be a little naïve, but she wasn’t a moron. He hadn’t done that by teamwork and holding hands. He had done it by looking out for himself only and taking out anyone he deemed as a threat. That wasn’t needed here, but she knew getting rid of that trait wasn’t going to be as easy as flipping a switch.

“Remind me again how many times I have to go and talk to this guy?” Mal was still grumpy.

“As many times as they think you need to. The more you cooperate with him, the better off you’ll be. Remember, anything you tell him is confidential. Even from my father. It’s just between the doctor and you.”

Mal snorted, but she stood up and crossed her arms, “Might as well get this over with.”

People stared and whispered when the two of them walked by together but neither girl responded. Mal kept her chin up and her shoulders squared, pretending they didn’t even exist. If she was faking it she was doing a great job. When they reached Dr. Doppler’s office she gave Evie a tiny half-wave and walked in proudly. Again, Evie wished she had even a small amount of Mal’s confidence.

Jay and Carlos were waiting outside her door, neither one of them looking happy. Jay lingered and Carlos wouldn’t even look up at her. He stared blankly ahead instead, ready for whatever was coming. Evie gave a mental sigh, “Thanks, Jay. I’ll see you after you’re done with detention.”

He gave her a confused look and she returned one that told him he better move on. She wasn’t going to force Carlos into her room. Either he chose to come willingly or he bolted back to his own, but she refused to make him do anything. Too many people had forced him in his life for her to feel comfortable doing the same thing.

Jay didn’t understand her reasoning, but he respected that she would do what was best for Carlos and turned away, “See you later, C.”

Carlos raised one hand slightly, but made no move to follow. He was being left behind yet again and he didn’t see the point in fighting. Evie stepped back, allowing him to walk into her room first, “Ready?”

He froze and so did she. It was OK, she could wait.

After what felt like a small eternity, he stepped into the room, looking around nervously. Evie spoke gently, “Mal would prefer that you leave her side of the room alone, so come over and sit on my side. I have some sodas in the mini-fridge and there are snacks if you want some.” She turned away, giving him a chance to examine things without her watching. Carlos seemed more comfortable when he could explore and open up on his own timeline. “Do you mind if I work on some sewing while we hang out? I’m really behind and I want some time to work on stuff for both you and Mal.”

Carlos nodded, seeming relieved not to have all of her attention focused on him. “Do you want to see some of the stuff I designed for you?” He nodded faintly and allowed her to walk him across the room so he could peek at her sketchbook.

Why did she feel so nervous? Jay had already told her that Carlos liked the things she had made for him before and pleasing him didn’t seem to take much more then a handful of Peanut Butter Cups.

But she really wanted Carlos to like her. He was the only one who could tell her anything about her real mother. She had asked Mal but the other girl hadn’t been much help. She knew her mother and she knew Jafar and she avoided other adults at all costs. If Evie wanted to know things she would have to wait for Carlos to tell her.

He smiled at her and gestured at one of the drawings, “That one? Yeah, that was my favorite, too. I have a couple of commissions, and then a few things for Mal, and then I can get to you again, OK?”

He nodded and sat back against her headboard, watching as she got her supplies out. There was something knowing in his eyes that made her wonder… ”Can you sew, Carlos?”

Another nod. “I could get done faster if you helped me with some of the hand sewing,” she pulled some fabric out. “Show me what you can do.”

If she asked him, he might refuse, but she knew he wouldn’t back down from a challenge. He and Mal were more alike then they thought.

Carlos expertly threaded the needle and got to work. As soon as he started working, he began making a low noise, one that hummed out of his chest and seemed to fill the room. The noise helped confirm something she had been thinking about for a while.

But she had to handle it very carefully. She had a plan but it had to be done as smoothly as possible. Carlos was on high alert for deception at all times, he was much better at figuring it out then she was.

It took seconds for him to finish what he was doing and hand it back over. The stitches were tiny and even, as good as any she could have done herself. “Great job! So, here’s my proposition for you: you help me out with some of the hand work, and I’ll pay you for it. It would be nice to have a little money of your own, right?”

He nodded, “Great!” She pulled down another stack of fabric, “You can come hang out here any time.”

Even though she knew he didn’t speak, Evie hated sitting in silence when there was another person right there, so she spoke up, “Jay said that you agreed to leave Mal alone.”

The humming noise stopped when he looked up and nodded, which made her think he didn’t quite realize he was doing it. Interesting.

“I’m glad. I made her promise to leave you alone, too. I want the four of us to be able to hang out and do fun things together. We could even go on group dates! Did you have a girlfriend on the Island?”

He shook his head, seeming surprised by the question. “Oh, well that’s good that you didn’t have to leave someone behind. What kind of girls do you like? Smart girls, sporty girls or girly girls? Curvy girls like me? Petite girls like Mal?”

Carlos still seemed confused but she did have his full attention now. She had a thought; one that she couldn’t quite believe might be true. “Do you like boys instead?” It was a risk since she didn’t want to offend him, but it would be amazing if it were true.

Now he was staring at her like she had lost her mind. He didn’t look offended, but he didn’t respond either. Maybe he just wasn’t interested in girls yet. She had noticed that both he and Mal seemed very mature in some ways and very young in others. “Well, just think about it and let me know. I know every girl in school, so if there’s one you’re interested in I can try and set you up.”

He gave a slow nod, still looking stunned by her questions. Time to switch gears. Mal wouldn’t be at her appointment for much longer and who knew when she would get a second chance alone with Carlos.

She let him work for a bit, just to give him a chance to relax, then carefully sprung her trap, “So, have you ever heard of a pinky promise?”

He shook his head, still focused on what he was doing. What she was about to do was both sneaky and dishonest but she was willing to take the chance, “Well, it’s a special sort of spell. It binds secrets. So if you and I made a pinky promise, we could tell each other a secret and the other one would be completely bound to never reveal it to anyone else.”

Carlos picked up on the urgency in her voice and looked over curiously, “I could cast one right now. And I’ll tell you what: since it’s your first time, I’ll tell you a secret of mine, and I’ll just guess at a secret of yours. If I’m wrong, I don’t get a second chance. How does that’s sound?”

The fabric dropped into his lap as he studied her seriously. Evie continued to work, letting him work it through in his own mind. She didn’t know Carlos well but she knew enough to know that he needed a little while to warm up to a new idea. Finally, he nodded.

“Wonderful! I’ll show you how to cast the spell. First, you take you little finger and hold it like this,” she crooked her finger at him, and he immediately responded by mimicking her. “Now we hook them together, and push to my chest, then to yours. Ready?” He did as she asked, allowing her to guide his hand. “I solemnly swear to never reveal what is said today. There you go, it’s done! Now do you want to hear my secret, or should I guess yours first?”

He pointed at her solemnly, “OK.” It was hard for her to say it out loud, even though she knew that wouldn’t, and couldn’t tell anyone. “No one knows this but Jay and Ben. Not my father, not my mother, not any of my friends. So this is a really important secret,” she leaned in close and was surprised when he did the same.  
“I like Mal.”

One eyebrow rose up, but his face didn’t change. Clearly he didn’t understand what she was telling him, so she tried again, “Not like a friend or a roommate. I want her to be my girlfriend.”

Now he got it, but he didn’t seem to be particularly impressed, “Did that happen on the Island? Where girls would have girlfriends and boys have boyfriends?”

Quick nod, “What did people do? Did they care?” Before they got Carlos and Mal, she had never really thought about the day to day life there. She assumed that it was hard and that people were generally pretty evil and rough, but that was it. Only Carlos and Mal were not evil. They were rough, but it had only been a few weeks and both of them were already learning a better way. She was also finding that life there had been harder then she cared to think about.

Carlos shrugged and shook his head. He certainly didn’t seem shocked or bothered by her confession. Could things possibly be better there? What would have happened if she had been left there instead of being taken? Maybe she and Mal could have grown up together and been more to each other then just roommates.

Or maybe not. If you were busy fighting over things like basic necessities (and she had seen how both of them reacted around food), you probably didn’t have much energy left over to worry about who was banging who.

She was still being watched, so she forced herself to speak past the lump in her throat, “Well it’s a big deal here.” Then she started to cry.

If she had been with Ben or Jay, they would have immediately put an arm around her. Even Mal would have made some sort of move. Carlos did nothing. He just stared at her like she was some particularly interesting form of bug.

But why should he attempt to comfort her? She had learned those skills from her parents, who had rushed to hold her the second she cried. She was willing to bet that Carlos had been left alone until the crying faded to whimpers and gulps and finally silence. How could she expect him to give what he had never received?

So she made herself calm down, “Sorry. So, that was my secret, and remember, you need to keep it. Can I guess at yours?”

His eyes narrowed and she knew that he didn’t like it. But he was fair and he was convinced that he had to, so he nodded and put up one finger. “I know, one guess.”

This was her moment and if she blew it right now, she might not get another chance, “I know you can talk. I don’t know why you aren’t doing it, but I know you can. Right?”

He jolted as if she had shocked him, staring at her with huge eyes. He didn’t nod or shake his head but he didn’t need to. His reaction told her everything.

After what felt like a small eternity, he gave a tiny nod. By all that was good, she had been right. She had figured out something that no one else had been able to. But what was she supposed to do with this information?

*****

“So, is it alright if I call you Mal? Or would you prefer something else?”

What else did he think he was going to call her? This man was dumber then she thought he was. But that was uncharitable and unladylike. What would Evie do right now? “Of course it is. That’s my only name.” Unless she wanted to go by Bertha, and she would sooner die.

“I though that you might prefer to be called by your last name or a nickname.”

“I don’t have any nicknames and Mal is my only name. No one uses last names on the Isle, except for Cruella deVil and her bastard son.”

“Carlos?” He perked up instantly. “I’ll be seeing him right after you.”

Oh, no, this wasn’t going to happen. Mal might not want to be here, but she was not going to get distracted talking about Carlos. This was her session and she wasn’t sharing it with that little fucker, “I don’t have anything to say about Carlos.”

“That’s fine. Why don’t you start out by telling me about your family? Your mother, father? How about any siblings?”

As if he didn’t know all of this already. Mal had no doubt that he had known everything possible about that before she had ever been invited to come to Auradon. “I’m an only child,” she ground the words out as sarcastically as possible.

“And your parents? Tell me who you live with?”

“My mother, Maleficent,” she knew that her mother’s name didn’t inspire the same fear here that it had on the Island, but it still meant something. “It’s just the two of us. Sometimes Jafar is around, but he doesn’t live with us.”

“Is Jafar your father?”

“No!” She didn’t know what was the most horrifying part about that comment. Thinking that she shared genes with that disgusting man, the idea that her mother could bring her father in right under her nose, or the image of her mother and Jafar locked in sweaty, passionate, sex. Ugh. Definitely the sex. “He’s my mother’s minion. He does her grunt work.”

“I see.” There was something judgmental in his voice that she didn’t quite like, “So your actual father doesn’t live with you?”

“No. I have no idea who the man is,” it wasn’t like she cared, either. She had gathered her courage and asked her mother about him once, but she had been shut down rather quickly. Maleficent had told her that the man was of no consequence. He had been chosen specifically to conceive Mal and disposed of as soon as the act was complete. Mal had been too frightened to ask exactly how that disposing had been done. There were plenty of dungeons left on the Island and lots of places to bury a body. “Just some loser who dumped us after the fucking was complete.”

“What about your friends? How did you fill your days?”

“I don’t have friends. I have minions, just like my mother does. Friends make you weak. You end up making decisions based on them instead of yourself. It’s unsafe.”

“I know that it was difficult to find other children your own age. It can be hard for a younger child to be interested in doing things with an older one.”

Oh, he thought the issue was that no one wanted to be friends with her, not the other way around, “Of course they wanted to be around me. My mother is the most feared woman on the Island and they want the protection I can provide. Plus, their parents want a chance to kiss my mother’s ass.” It wasn’t the most ladylike way for her to put it, but it was the truth. Everyone wanted something and at least on the Island they were transparent about it.

“They were after notoriety more so then friendship.”

Good, he got it, “Yes.”

“That seems fair enough. What about here? You and Evie seem well on your way to becoming friends. Or is she a minion, too?”

“Of course not!” It was an insult to even have him suggest it, “Evie is neither a friend nor a minion. She’s more of a…companion.”

“What’s the difference between a companion and a friend?” He seemed genuinely curious, but she knew that he was mentally taking notes to run over in his mind later.

“A companion is more of an equal. It’s someone I would trust to turn my back on. I would never turn my back on a minion. They’re all waiting for their chance to become the boss.”

“I’m hearing you tell me the difference between a companion and a minion, but not really the difference between a companion and a friend.”

Mal felt her frustration rise. It was less because of his pressing and more because she couldn’t explain the difference herself. All she knew was that applying the word ‘friend’ to Evie felt somehow wrong. “Because I don’t want to call her that, that’s why,” her eyes burned and she knew that they had changed color on her again. She liked the effect when she was doing it on purpose, but it bothered her when it happened by mistake. When that happened, it showed everyone that she had lost control of herself and that only served to make her angrier. “You know what? I don’t want to talk about this any more.”

“That’s fine. We can talk about it another time. Remember we don’t have to talk about anything you don’t want to,” he glanced over the cabinet against the wall. He had been doing that the entire time.

“What’s in there?” She pointed, despite all her mother’s warnings that pointing was rude.

“In the cabinet? Just some props I use with my sand table. You can take the cover off the table if you want to look at it,” his tone was casual but she sensed that this was one of those very important therapist things. She had done a little research on Evie’s laptop (they had promised she could have one of her own, but it hadn’t happened yet), and apparently everything you did meant something to a therapist. If she agreed to look, she was nosy and pushy. If she refused, she was either a bitch or fearful. There was no way out for her.

So she flipped the top off the table, studying the sand underneath. No one ever went to the beach on the Island. It was filthy and there were….things…..in the water. If you had to go to the docks to get something, you moved directly from the dock to the barge.

This was the first time she had actually touched sand and it was…different. She had always thought that it would feel like dirt but it didn’t. It was clean and didn’t leave marks on her hands. There were little crumbles left on her hands but they brushed off easily.

“Do you swim, Mal?”

“Nobody on the Island swims. You don’t keep someone prisoner on an island without having some way of keeping them there.” How could he not know this? Did nobody in Auradon pay any attention to what the people in charge were doing?

Probably not. She was coming to find out that the people here liked things nice and pretty and uncomplicated. They didn’t want to think about the Island and the suffering that happened there. So they didn’t. That was why she and Carlos were such a violent shock to them. The two of them didn’t fit into Auradon’s perfect world.

She lightly brushed the sand from her fingers, “So, the cabinet?”

“You can take a peek if you like. I usually have my patients take out whatever they like and set up the tray. Make a world for yourself.”

He was so transparent. The things she chose and the way she arranged them definitely meant something. But he didn’t seem to know that she knew that. Maybe it was time to have a little fun.

Mal smiled to herself and strode over to the cabinet. It was filled with every sort of toy that she could imagine. There were plastic animals, people, and buildings. Food of all sorts. Jars with marbles and random shapes. Wooden sticks for doodling in the sand. Literally anything she could think of. This was going to be too easy.

There were a variety of mythical creatures mixed in with the other animals, so she snatched up the black dragon. This could represent her mother. She took it over to the table and set it down in the middle, grinding it into the sand. Ok, that was a good start.

What else did she need? A castle. You couldn’t have a kingdom without a castle. There were several choices (of course there fucking were), and she chose the one that looked most like what her mother had shown her in pictures and drawings. There, the scene was set and Dr. Doppler was hanging on her every move. Perfect.

Now, time for the fun. There were lots of different types of fake food, some of which she recognized and some of which she didn’t. She finally found a banana and some red fruits with little specks all over them. She took the banana over and forced it into the sand, positioning it so that it was rammed into the dragon’s mouth. The red fruits she scattered at the dragon’s feet, like some sort of sacrifice. A fridge and toilet completed the look, along with some sand heaped into mountains and dug out for a lake. “Perfect.”

“That’s an…interesting….tableau. Why isn’t the dragon eating meat instead of fruit?”

“Aren’t you supposed to be telling me that? You’re the doctor. And by the way, I think I’m done with this session,” she wondered if he would try to force her to stay and how much damage that sculpture on his desk could do if she swung it hard enough.

“Ok. Your time is about up anyway, but you know that you can end a session any time you want, right?”

“No.” No one had told her that.

“Well, you can. You aren’t a prisoner here and you don’t have to do anything you want to.”

“But if I don’t come, then they’re going to put me back in the hospital. I know how this works. You say that I have a choice, but I don’t.” Why was she even saying this? Why couldn’t she take a lesson from stupid fucking Carlos and just keep her damn mouth shut.

“Of course you have a choice. But that choice, like every other choice, comes with consequences. Nothing ever comes free.”

For the first time, it occurred to Mal that this man might be far more intelligent that she was giving him credit for. And more honest as well. She kind of liked a man who didn’t pretend that this place was a cotton candy unicorn sanctuary like everyone else did.

Not that she was going to tell him that. She stood up in a huff and walked to the door. He waited until she had her hand on the knob before speaking, “Bye, Mal. I’ll see you next week.”

She turned to see him undoing all of her careful work, “Why are you taking that down?”

“So Carlos can have a chance to use it as well. Everyone deserves a fresh start, don’t you think?”

It was like he knew that she was here under false pretenses and about her plan to steal the wand. She turned away without saying anything.

Evie was waiting for her in the hallway. Unfortunately, she had Carlos with her. It wasn’t that Mal hadn’t expected him but she could always hope he got lost or died on the way, couldn’t she? He had been studying the plaque on the wall with the doctor’s name, but he turned to look at her instead. Why was it that the creepy little bastard who wouldn’t even make eye contact with anyone else wouldn’t stop staring at her?

Without breaking eye contact, Carlos slowly slid a finger down his side to tap at his pocket. She understood the message as clearly as if he had spoken. He had a knife in there, and he was more then happy to use it on her.

Well, two could play that game. The door was still partway open, so it was an easy matter for her to lean back in, “Dr. Doppler? You might want to ask Carlos what he has in his pocket!”

It was a clever move but when she looked back at him, Carlos was smirking, as if he knew something that she didn’t. Weird fucker. She grabbed Evie’s hand, making sure that Carlos knew that the Princess was hers now and he was no longer needed.

He nodded at Evie and stepped into the office without a backwards glance, closing the door behind him. Good riddance.

“Was it as bad as you thought it would be?” Evie bumped their shoulders together.

It had been worse. That man was like a bug, drilling into the tiniest little cracks in her brain and screwing around where he wasn’t welcome, “It could have been better.”

“Which means it could have been worse as well. I’m voting that the two of us go get an ice cream cone. Jay will pick Carlos up, so it’s just us girls.

Mal had only had ice cream one time, when it came in a little cup with her hospital meal, but it had been delicious, “OK.”

Every time she came to the cafeteria, the other students were a little bolder about approaching her. There were quite a few groups studying or just hanging out and they were invited to join almost all of them. Evie politely put them off, telling them that they would be sure to get together soon, but that they were just making a quick stop for ice cream and didn’t want to interrupt.

Watching that girl at work was something else. She made every person she talked to feel like the most important person in the room and she didn’t have to threaten or force them to do anything. They all just fell over themselves offering.

She had known that things would be different here then on the Island, but she hadn’t known just how different they would be. Apparently she needed diplomacy and tact instead of just demanding or taking what she wanted.

Maybe she could get Evie to give her some lessons? Because Auradon seemed pretty complicated to rule and she fully expected to be queen of it one day soon. If her mother thought she was getting this place, she was crazy. Now that Mal had seen it for herself she wasn’t going to give it up easily.

On second thought, she didn’t need Evie to teach her anything. Evie was already a Princess and she had a much better foundation for ruling then Mal did. What if she could be convinced that working with Mal was in her own best interest? She recognized the way Evie looked at her and she couldn’t deny the thrill it gave her.

For a second, she let her thoughts drift, imagining what it would be like to rule as the Dark Queen of Auradon, with Evie at her side, the Second Queen, but just as powerful as the first.

Oh, Mal liked that idea. In fact, she liked it a whole lot.

******

Carlos deVil was not happy. This was no surprise to him, of course. He had only been happy a few times in his entire life, enough that he could count them on his fingers. There was the day he found Beelzebub. The kitten had been so small that he put it in the in the pocket of his shorts and had to feed it goats milk through a piece of hay at first. Beelzebub purred and followed him around and even learned how to hang on to Carlos’ jacket when they climbed in and out of the warehouse. That little cat made him happy every time he saw it.

Then there was the first time one of his inventions actually worked, instead of just blowing up on him. It meant that he was on the right track and that he was getting better and smarter by the day. Soon he wouldn’t need anyone else.

And there was….there was…..he didn’t know. He had certainly felt pleasure at other times, and especially since coming to Auradon. He was pleased to get to drink soda and eat chocolate. He was delighted when food came at regular intervals, and he was generally safe enough at night to sleep deeply. But happy? Not so much. Happy was when things were going so well that you couldn’t think of any of your worries or troubles. He didn’t make the mistake of being distracted by happiness very often.

But he was definitely more relaxed here in Auradon. It was nice to not have to watch his back every second of every day. People here could still hurt him and he wasn’t about to give them any extra opportunities, but it was different. Here he might meet a fist. At home it would probably be a knife.

Gradually, he was settling in here. He didn’t want to interact with the other kids here or the adults. He certainly didn’t want to be trapped in a classroom with them (OK, maybe a small part of him was curious. But not curious enough to actually want to go). In fact, it would suit him just fine if he didn’t have to leave his room at all. At least during the day. Nighttime was his favorite time to roam.

He didn’t really do any of those things back on the Isle either, though. He didn’t like interacting with people, he didn’t like leaving his safe spaces, which were his room and his warehouse, and he didn’t go to school there either. So Auradon was safer, but not really that different.

Evie was on his serious shit list, though. He couldn’t believe that she had tricked him like that. He wasn’t sure if he was angry with her for casting a spell on him like that (even though he had kind of given her permission), or angry with himself for falling right into her trap. He wouldn’t have expected such behavior from either a nice Auradon girl or the Princess.

Of course he could fucking talk! He wasn’t stupid and he wasn’t deformed. He just didn’t want to, that’s all. Why should he? There wasn’t really anything he wanted to tell them.

Cruella certainly never cared if he talked or not. Unless he was slaving for her, fluffing her furs, doing her hair, scrubbing every nook and cranny of their piece of shit house, she preferred that he be invisible. Invisible boys ended up with fewer cuts and broken bones.

Darling tried. She was the only one who did. She spoke to him, enunciating clearly and tried to get him to speak back. The fact that he never did didn’t seem to discourage her much. As he got older she worked directly with him less and less, but she still had conversations with him. She never expected that he would talk to her but she always left pauses after she spoke, just in case. He wondered if she knew that he could talk all along, even though she never said anything.

No one else even tried. Not his teachers, when he had still gone to school, not the other kids, not even Mal. No one made the effort, so he refused to make one back.

Rumors had spread that the deVil kid was nuts and mute, but he was the to-go guy for making things. So people came and they talked at him (way too loudly and with lots of gestures, as if it was his ears that didn’t work instead of his mouth). Then he wrote down his price and they left him alone in the quiet. It was how he preferred it.

Even here in Auradon, they didn’t really push the issue. Darling had written them a letter, telling them all about him and snitching that he didn’t talk and they just accepted it. He wasn’t angry about it since it saved him a lot of trouble when it came to trying to explain things. People here talked to him more, instead of at him, but they still didn’t expect him to talk back. Sure, they said that they were going to get him a therapist who would help him but he hadn’t seen it happen yet.

So how had Evie figured it out? He kept going over it in his brain, trying to figure out what he had done to rat himself out. He never spoke, not even when he was sure he was alone, so there was no way she had overheard him. He hadn’t moved his lips or made even a small sound. So what had it been?

Carlos didn’t entirely discount the possibility that Evie had somehow used her powers to do it, which was a both a comfort and frightening. A comfort because there was nothing he could have done better or differently. Frightening because who knew what else she could come up with. He had fooled almost everyone here into thinking he was nice. He was shy, he was gentle, and he needed them to help him or he would just be lost.

Nope. He didn’t need any of them. It had taken a bit for him to get his bearings and he still wasn’t 100%, but close enough. He had figured out how to get food even with them monitoring exactly what was brought in with Jay. His stash now had fruit, bread, candies and many, many crackers and pastries. So what if they were old and stale? They were his and he would gladly fight to the death for them.

Even though they were miles from town, it wasn’t really that far. He had gone farther to look for parts and he wasn’t afraid to be alone in the woods. Actually, it would be preferable to being locked up in here with a bunch of strangers that he didn’t know anything about. Auradon was a fancy place but there had to be abandoned buildings that he could set up in. He was quick enough to steal food from those who were unwary and he certainly wasn’t above going through the trash if he got desperate. There was never much food on the Island, since food was scarce enough that you didn’t throw it away, no matter what, but here? It was absolutely ridiculous. People just tossed entire plates of food, some of which could have fed him for days. Jay was constantly telling him that if he didn’t like the way something tasted, he didn’t have to eat it. Just throw it away and they would get him something else.

The thought of doing that was sickening. Maybe if the food was actually making him sick, like the way the Captain broke out in hives when he ate nuts, but just because you didn’t like the way it tasted? He hadn’t liked the mayonnaise on the sandwich Jay brought, but that didn’t mean he hadn’t fished the sandwich out of the trash later and eaten it. It was the right thing to do. The only thing to do.

So he was confident in his ability to provide himself food and shelter. Really, what else did he need? No one had helped him on the Island and he didn’t need anyone to help him here.

Not that it was always terrible here. Jay provided muscle and he was pretty good company. There was even a part of Carlos that would be sad to leave his new roommate behind. But it had to be done. Jay was nice now, but once he got what he wanted from Carlos (and it made Carlos absolutely crazy that he couldn’t figure out just what that was), he would be done with him, just like the rest. There was no real bond there.

The only one that wasn’t fooled by his act was Mal. She had seen what he was capable of on the Island and she knew that he hadn’t magically changed when he got here, just like she hadn’t. Luckily for him though, no one believed her. He supposed that he was fortunate in that his usual reaction in a strange situation was to freeze in place. It made him look weak and pitiful. Mal’s first instinct was to fight, which made her look rough. Thus, it looked like she was at fault for most of their confrontations, when the truth was that it was about a 50-50 split. Once she came into his territory and tried to screw around with him, it was on. He would have left her alone but he was very protective over what was his.

Though he supposed he hadn’t really fooled Evie either. But did it matter? Who cared if she knew that he could talk, when her magic prevented her from saying anything about it? So there was really no reason for him to worry.

Speaking of her magic, that was a pretty disappointing secret from her. Who cared if she wanted to fuck Mal? He knew that two women could do that. Men could be with women, men could be with men, and women could be with women. Sometimes there was more then one man or more then one woman. Men or women could be with kids. Sometimes there wasn’t any choice in the matter, usually when it was a kid or more then one man with a woman, but sometimes there was.

Sex was a tool as much as any physical thing he worked with. You could let someone fuck you for protection, money, or food. He had been offered it as payment for his inventions multiple times.

He always turned them down though. He was aware of sex (it was impossible not to be when he saw it out in the open at least once a week in various combinations and places) and was aware that his body had changed into a man's, that seeing those things interested and aroused him instead of making him turn away like it had when he was a child.

But he was not planning on doing it himself. For one thing, he would be an absolute fool to put himself in such a vulnerable position. He regularly passed through a line of women who fucked men for money. Whores, his mother called women like that. Nasty women. She would have probably told him to keep away from them but it never occurred to her to ask where he spent his time.

When he first saw them, he was far too young to be of any interest to them and they still left him alone, acting as if he were invisible. But he could hear them talking and had more then once heard them claim that once a man’s cock went up, his brain shut down, making him easy to rob.

Carlos’ brain was the only thing that had kept him alive so far and the thought of having it fail him was enough to convince him he would gladly go his entire life without fucking if that was the way to preserve it.

Then there was the fear of getting a woman pregnant. His mother was crazy, that was an undisputed fact. He might be crazy too, he wasn’t sure about it. He knew about nature vs. nurture. Any kid of his would get a nice big dose of the crazy genes. Combined with the stress of growing up on the Island? Yeah, chances weren’t good for that kid. It was way too late for him but he wasn’t going to send any other kid down the path he had been sent on.

So really, the secret wasn’t much. The only thing surprising about it was that someone would actually want to do it with Mal. He wouldn’t be surprised if there was some sort of demon that lived up inside of her pussy, waiting to bite the dick off of any man brave enough to try it. But then, Evie wouldn’t have a cock to start with, so she might be safe.

Her questions though were a bit more disturbing. Did he think Mal was pretty? Did he think Evie was? He had never really thought about it. They both had nice enough faces he supposed and their bodies were curvy and soft looking in all the right places (though he had been fooled by that before. Some of the whores that he thought were women turned out not to be. Just men in make-up and dresses. He wasn’t sure what the point of that was but they certainly didn’t seem to lack for business). His body was somewhat interested in the thought of being with Evie. As far as Mal was concerned, it was far more interested in hurting her.

But his brain didn’t care much. It shut his body down fast, reminding him again of all the reasons he should keep his dick in his pants. Not to mention the additional ones involving Evie being the daughter of the fucking King. Nope, he wasn’t going to go anywhere near that one.

He had never considered boys before but that wasn’t really it either. He had the same half-interested physical response but again, no feelings to go along with it. The only upside was not having to worry about knocking some guy up. Men were a logical choice between the two, though it would still be best if he just stayed away from either gender.

His mood was somewhat improved by the chance to freak Mal out outside of the doctors office, which was always fun. It helped to calm his nerves a bit. Evie patted his back, “Good luck, Carlos.”

Carlos knew that he was not particularly brave. Given the chance, he would rather run and hide then confront whatever was chasing him this time. So what? He wasn’t Prince Phillip with a sword or Prince Eric with a trident or even Rapunzel with a frying pan. He was just Carlos. He was small, he was weak and his only defense was keeping out of dangerous situations in the first place. Well, that and building things that exploded but that was not an option here in Auradon. At least not until he got his hands on a few chemicals.

He wanted nothing more then to turn and run, and if it had just been Evie out there, he probably would have. But he was not going to look bad in front of Mal. That bitch would never let him live it down.

The therapist’s room was small with just a desk, couch, cabinet, and a strange looking table filled with sand. And the therapist of course, Dr. Doppler.

“Hi, Carlos. Or would you prefer Mr. DeVil?”

There was no way that he was going to answer that or any other question this man had. He knew all about therapists. They were the ones who looked at his mother and told the King that she should go to the Island with every one else. Even though there were medicines that could help her and make her not dangerous, the therapists didn’t care. They sent a crazy woman to a crazy place and they still acted surprised when she had a crazy son.

So he just looked at the man out of the corner of his eye and didn’t give any response.

“Fair enough, I’ll just stick with Carlos for now. Would you like to show me what you have in your pocket?”

That he was delighted to do. It was no fun to fuck with Mal when she had no idea that he was doing it, now was it? So he happily turned his pockets inside out and produced nothing but his room key. Let Mal be the one to be paranoid for a while.

“And Mal thinks you had a weapon. You’re quite smart, aren’t you Carlos?”

Of course he was, but he wasn’t going to be flattered. He just dropped his head and went back to the sideways stare. It always freaked people out.

“But they’re telling me that you don’t speak, ever. Why is that?” His voice was nice, but his body language wasn’t. He was here to tell everyone in Auradon that Carlos was just as bad as his mother and that he would have to go back to the Island too. Well, he wasn’t going to give them any ammunition.

Life with Cruella had taught him quite a few tricks; one of them was to just sit. His mother could yell, she could hit, she could even burn, and he would just keep his place and wait. She would have to stop eventually, if for no other reason then she got tired.

The doctor waited as well. Minutes ticked by, five, then ten. One of them had to break and it wasn’t going to be Carlos.

In the end, it was the doctor who spoke again, “I can see that this isn’t going to be a very productive session. How about you just finish up with the sand tray? Mal worked on it a bit but I don’t know that she completely got it.”

As much as Carlos had promised himself that he wouldn’t interact with the doctor at all, he couldn’t resist the chance to show Mal up. So he got up and looked curiously at the tray. It was sand. He ran his fingers though it, checking for depth and if there was anything buried in there. Nope, just sand.

“You can use the props in the cabinet to set up the table however you want. Make a scene, make a pattern, do whatever feels right.”

Careful to always keep the doctor in his peripheral vision, Carlos chose a jar of marbles and a few small wooden sticks. He had no interest in any of the people or animals but he was willing to bet that he could use the sand table like a giant piece of paper to work out some schematics for a few inventions he had been thinking of. Back home, paper was precious and he wasn’t about to waste it. Paper was for paying customers only. It had been amazing to see the school supplies that had been bought for him and see notebooks absolutely filled with blank pages. They were his and he could do whatever he wanted with them.

So he usually saved his paper scraps for when he had clients and doodled in the dirt at other times. But the sand would be better. He was pretty good at mapping things out in his head but sometimes it was better to have a model in front of him, so he could make the changes he needed to before he started and lessen the risk of damaging precious parts.

He really wanted something to alert him when people came into his room. He was watchful, but even he had to sleep sometime. He would have to somehow teach it to recognize Jay but he was confident in his ability to do so.

There were several colors of marbles and he used them to mark out various components. The sticks worked very well to draw lines between and around the marbles. This was so much easier then it was on the Island.

Dr. Doppler watched him but Carlos ignored the man. He knew that he sometimes appeared to be blanked out while he worked but he never actually was. There was always a part of him that remained aware.

Well, almost always. Jay had managed to startle him the other day. Every once in a while Darling could still spook him as well, though it was a little more difficult to be on his game when he was fighting with a concussion. He was much sharper here then he had been at home. It was easier to focus when you weren’t hungry all the time, you were getting enough sleep, and nothing was hurting. Jay was still suspicious to Carlos, but not stranger level suspicious. He was more suspicious on the level that every one was. They all wanted something and he just wished they would be upfront about it.

He got the basic design down and paused to think. What sort of alert did he want? A shriek would certainly deter someone coming in but it would also alert anyone on their floor that something was going on. Since he knew that no one was going to go out of their way to help, all it would do would draw attention to a room that was vulnerable. A beep or chime close to his bed would be more subtle, but it would leave him to defend himself from the intruder. He was probably capable and certainly willing to do harm, but he worried about being overpowered.

Siren was best, he decided. It would have the advantage of scaring anyone who came in and giving him precious seconds to defend himself. Quickly, he moved two marbles and redrew the lines. Perfect.

“That looks like a blueprint. What are you thinking about building?” Dr. Doppler was still trying to get his attention, but Carlos wasn’t interested, “You know that we have classes here for tech and robotics, right?”

That was interesting, but Carlos still wasn’t going to look or even act like he could hear. He might have to come here for an hour at a time but that didn’t mean he had to enjoy it.

“Your session is almost over. My other clients use the same table, so I can’t leave what you’ve made up but I can take a picture for you. I don’t know if they’ve given you a phone yet but I can send it to Jay.”

He nodded. Yes, he had the blueprint memorized already but he didn’t need to let anyone else know that. The doctor snapped a quick shot, “Let me check to see if Jay is here to pick you up.”

As it turned out Jay was right outside the door, waiting and ready. His eye, which had looked pretty bad this morning, looked even worse now. No one was saying exactly what had caused the fight but Carlos had a pretty big suspicion that it was him. After all, he was what had changed for Jay and the other boy had never been a fighter before. It was a strange feeling, to know that someone was willing to get hurt or hurt someone else instead of hurting Carlos himself. Just went to prove that they were weird here in Auradon.

“I’ll see you in a few days, Carlos,” the doctor called after him, but he didn’t respond. He would worry about seeing the man again when that rolled around again. For right now, he was free.  
*****

Carlos didn’t look happy at all when he came out of the doctor’s office. Not that Jay blamed him. He had been sent to the same place a few years ago when he was having trouble with the idea of his adoption and at odds with his parents over everything that had happened. It had helped him and he didn’t regret it, but it was still strange.

And he kind of doubted that it would help Carlos much. It wasn’t just that he didn’t talk, though that was part of it. Jay supposed that there were lots of people in the world who didn’t talk. But most of them communicated somehow and Carlos really didn’t. He was starting to do it with Jay, a tiny bit. He could nod or shake his head and he seemed to like giving a thumbs up. But he only did it for Jay and Evie. The King had come by multiple times and barely gotten a look out of the smaller boy.

But Jay supposed that he should be grateful for the progress that Carlos was making. He paced less and seemed more relaxed in general. He had obviously gained much needed weight from when he arrived. Jay could almost always coax at least a small smile out of him. It had only been a few weeks, so maybe his expectations were a little bit high.

“Hey, C. You want to stop by the cafeteria and get some ice cream? Evie said that Mal has never tasted it and I’ll bet you’re going to love it. I know they have chocolate.”

Maybe Carlos was making more progress then Jay had originally thought because he nodded tentatively and stepped forward. This would be his first trip to the cafeteria and his first trip where other people could see him. It was really quite a step forward and it meant he was trusting Jay to take care of him.

“So, how was it? I know it’s not the most fun, but Doc can really help if you give him a chance. Even though he’s kind of a dork.”

Carlos looked away which Jay was coming to find out meant he was through with the conversation. Not that he wouldn’t still think about it, but he needed to sort it out in his own brain.

Luckily for them the cafeteria was pretty deserted. People still stared and a few pointed, but Jay’s glare was enough to keep them at bay. Yes, Carlos couldn’t hide forever, but was it too much to ask that he have a little bit of time to relax and get to know the places around school before he had to deal with the people?

And apparently just the cafeteria was overwhelming enough for him. It was between meals so nothing was actually being cooked, but there were still choices. The salad bar was open and they could make a cold sandwich. There were huge, clear, cylinders filled with a half dozen types of cereal. Jay had never really though about how much food was sitting right here for to take, but Carlos was obviously amazed. He stepped closer to Jay’s side as if asking for something. It wasn’t hard to guess what he needed, “You want to make a sandwich, too? You can take it back to the room for later.”

That comment earned him another one of those dazzling smiles. Carlos was happier when he could see food and know that it was there for him, “Ok, let’s do that first.”

As he had suspected, Carlos needed a little help with both identifying what the various meats were and actually assembling the sandwich. His lack of skill with cutlery was even more evident now as he tried to use a knife to spread mustard or butter. Jay wanted to just make it for him, but he had a suspicion that that sort of help would not be warmly received. Carlos was independent, overly so, and he didn’t want anyone doing things for him that he could do for himself.

Once they got the sandwich packed up, Jay led Carlos over to the ice cream, “You can pick anything you want. One scoop, two scoops, whatever. You can put it in a cone and lick it, or a cup and eat it with a spoon. It’s up to you. It’s really cold, just warning you.”

One of the cafeteria workers came over to scoop the ice cream (after a few unfortunate incidents, some of which Jay may or may not have been a part of, students were no longer allowed to touch the frozen desserts themselves), “If you want to try something, just let me know.”

Of course Carlos wanted to try something. He wanted to try every single flavor (and there were 25 of them). The expression on his face when he got his first taste was hilarious; a combination of shock and pleasure, and Jay couldn’t help but laugh. It was such a change from the blankness that he had seen looking at him from under the bed.

In the end, Carlos chose Chocolate Peanut Butter, two scoops in a cone. Jay usually got a single scoop but it would be rude not to get the same thing, right? Two scoops of French Vanilla. Carlos studied his choice curiously, prompting Jay to hold out the cone, “Want another taste?”

He had noticed the way Carlos protected any food he got. Food was probably scarce on the Island and he was willing to bet that nobody shared. So he wanted Carlos to see people sharing here and know that there would always be enough. He would never take food away from Carlos but he could offer it.

Sure enough, Carlos was surprised but he took a few tentative licks. He didn’t offer his own in return, but he did look at it like he was considering doing so, “Come on, we can eat while we walk.”

It was warm out, they were both occupied with eating their ice cream before it melted and it occurred to Jay that they could have been anyone out for the day, eating ice cream. No one would be able to just look at them and know that there was anything wrong with Carlos. It gave him hope.

By the time they made it back to the room they had both finished eating, “So, I have a ton of stupid chemistry homework. You wouldn’t know anything about that, would you?”

Carlos shrugged and nodded. Then he did something new. He reached out with one finger and touched Jay’s bruised face, the movement as gentle as the brush of a butterfly’s wings. Then he pointed at himself. The question was as clear as day. Did I cause this to happen?

The answer was yes. But he didn’t want to tell Carlos that. Not only because he didn’t want the kid to feel bad, but because he still didn’t really understand why he had been such a jerk to start with. Pin had called Carlos a ‘little freak’. Unkind, but not the worst thing he could have said. For some reason, Carlos brought out his protective side in a way that no one else did, not even Evie.

So he pretended not to understand, “What? No, it doesn’t hurt that much.” Which was a total lie. It hurt like a bitch.

Carlos didn’t buy it for a second. He shook his head and repeated the gesture. Clearly he wasn’t going to let this one go, “Yeah, I punched someone over you.”

One eyebrow quirked up, the ‘why?’ as clear as if he had actually spoken.

“Because you and I are bros now. We have to have each other’s backs, because that’s what bros do.”

Judging by the face Carlos made at him, he was quite unfamiliar with the concept of ‘bros’. That was fine, he would learn. “Anyway, the homework?”

Carlos pulled out the assignment and looked it over, then consulted the textbook. He drew a line between the two with one finger, nodding to himself and gestured Jay in. With a fresh sheet of notebook paper, he sketched out the two elements and then labeled each step with arrows showing how the electrons moved from one to the next. Each electron had a number and it was easy to see how they jumped and scooted to form the bond, “Wait, that’s it? But it looks so easy when you do it.”

No response, of course, but Carlos pointed at another problem, asking Jay to do one on his own. It was still a pain in the ass, but when he referenced back to Carlos’ drawing it was actually pretty easy, “There.”

Carlos checked it and nodded happily, telling Jay that he had it right. Awesome! Jay wolf whistled loudly and was amazed when Carlos whistled right back at him. So he whistled again and got the same response. Next he tried a few bars of a song and Carlos mimicked him perfectly. Then he grinned. He understood the game.

Back and forth they went, the whistled lines getting longer and longer until he had Carlos doing most of a song each time. Either he was smarter then anyone was letting on or he had some way of learning these songs on the Island.

They weren’t talking. It wasn’t the huge breakthrough that all of the adults kept insisting that both Carlos and Mal would have pretty soon. But Jay had long since concluded that the adults had no idea what they were talking about when it came to Carlos and Mal. Maybe he didn’t either, but at least he knew that he didn’t know anything.

And maybe this was pretty big breakthrough. Carlos had voluntarily touched him. They were communicating using sounds. They had made it through a therapist session without anyone having a meltdown, and Carlos had trusted him enough to follow him into the cafeteria. It wasn’t going to be a race with him. It might not even be a marathon that they finished. But they had something today that they hadn’t yesterday.

He tipped his head back and smiled at Carlos, “So how about I introduce you to Rock and Roll?”

This was good. For the first time, Jay was 100% sure that he could do this with Carlos. Sure it might take a little time. But right now? They had all the time in the world.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, they're a mess, aren't they? One is aware of her feelings, one is aware and happily using them to manipulate, one is clueless, and the fourth has no idea that he even has feelings.


	12. Chapter 12

It Doesn’t Matter How Slowly You Go, as Long as You Don’t Stop.

The alarm went off way too early, making Mal grumble and pull the blankets back over her face. She never had to get up this early on the Island. She went to school, but only when she felt like it. Sometimes she showed up late, sometimes not at all. It was just what was expected of a bunch of evil kids.

But that didn’t fly here in Auradon. Here she was expected to get up, get ready, and come to her classes with a big smile on her face. A real smile, not a smirk or a snarl. It fucking sucked.

“Mal! Turn off that Evil Damned alarm! We don’t both have to get up this early!”

Hearing Evie cursing like some common Islander woke Mal up faster then the alarm ever could have, “Not a morning person, Princess? Good thing you weren’t around to kiss your Daddy goodnight with that mouth of yours.”

Evie gave a growl that somehow sounded more like an enraged kitten than a tiger and buried her face in the blankets. It was cute and Mal had to laugh a little bit. She got up and dressed, brushing her hair and teeth and making sure she looked presentable. She was not going to look bad in front of her new teachers and she certainly wouldn’t look bad in front of Carlos.

Once she was ready, she sprung her plan into motion. She took one final look in the mirror, ensuring that she was flawless, and tiptoed over to the bed, sitting down. “Evie? Evie?”

The comforter flipped back and one dark eye peered out, “What?”

As Mal had expected, Evie’s eyes widened when she took Mal in all made up. Mal knew that she was pretty right now and knew that she could have the princess wrapped around her little finger in no time flat. “I have no idea where to go for Remedial Goodness.”

“Jay will take both of you,” the comforter flipped back down.

“But I would rather you do it. I don’t want to have to deal with Carlos this early in the morning,” Why wasn’t this working out like she had planned?

“Consider it your first lesson in goodness,” Evie’s voice was muffled, but it was clear that she wasn’t getting up.

Oh, so she was going to play hard to get. For the first time, Mal wished that she had paid more attention when her mother flirted to get people to do her bidding. She had just never seen the point when she could get what she wanted by simple brute power. Apparently she still had a lot to learn.

She put a hand on the comforter where Evie’s shoulder would be. At least that was what she was going for, “Are you at least going to be there to pick me up? Please?” They just loved it here when she said ‘please’ and ‘thank you’ instead of ‘do it’ and 'fuck yourself'.

“Yes, I will pick both of you up. Now let me go back to sleep.”

Mal had to admit that it was nice to see Evie acting a little more cranky and a little bit less...princessy. Maybe she didn’t have to aim for perfection to make it here in Auradon. She could just be good enough to make it through until they could get the wand. “Ok, fine. I’ll miss you,” she couldn’t resist adding the last part in. Hopefully Evie would hear it and know that Mal was thinking about her.

Because that would make things easier on Mal, of course. It wasn’t because she liked Evie or anything. If Evie hadn’t been interested in her, she would have moved on to Ben and tried to establish a relationship with him instead. It was just her fortune that Evie was more pleasant to look at than her brother.

They had given her all kinds of school supplies. Fresh clean notebooks. Pens and pencils in their own special carrying case. There was a stack of textbooks as well, but she wouldn’t need any of them for Remedial Goodness. She packed her things in her backpack and took a deep breath. She hadn’t been forced into the same space as Carlos since they arrived in Auradon. Actually, she wasn’t sure if they had ever been enclosed in the same room together.

A knock sounded at the door and Evie snarled and threw her stuffed dragon at the door, “Shut up, Jay! Go away!”

Ugh, why did she have to be so insufferably cute? It would make it much easier on Mal if Evie was insufferable. If she had a personality like Carlos, Mal could have just flirted with her (or even had sex with her if necessary) and moved on. But she was actually starting to get attached to the other girl, which wasn’t good. This was why she didn’t have friends. Friends made you weak.

“Is Mal ready? Because I don’t think that showing up late for the first Remedial Goodness class is a good start!” Jay didn’t sound at all offended by her tone.

“I’m ready!” She gave herself a final once over in the mirror, taking a moment to pull her shoulders back so her boobs looked bigger. Her mother might be well endowed in that area, but Mal certainly wasn’t. Jay might be supposedly good but he was also a man, and men could be manipulated by a good set of tits.

Jay was laughing when she opened the door, as if Carlos just told a particularly funny joke. It was enough to make her wonder if Carlos talked to him when there was no one else around. If you learned one thing on the Island, it was how to keep a secret, and maybe Carlos was better at it than she gave him credit for. It was only a short step from being the secret to keeping one.

“Good morning, Mal. You look really pretty today,” he smiled a bit at her and she had to admit that it was cute. If she didn’t already have her plans with Evie, Jay might have been a viable option. “Doesn’t she look pretty, Carlos?”

So Jay was attempting to teach Carlos some Auradon manners, just like Evie was doing for Mal. It was going to be harder for Jay though. She at least, understood the importance of having people around to do your grunt work. Carlos didn’t give a shit if people hung around, so he wasn’t too likely to perform the behaviors that would keep them there.

But, again, Carlos surprised her. He looked her up and down before glancing back at Jay and nodding. So he did want Jay to stick around. For protection? A minion? Something else? The thought that Carlos could be using Jay the same way she was using Evie was an interesting one.

Actually, just about everything Carlos was doing since arriving in Auradon was interesting. From everything she had heard about him and everything she had experienced, he was great with things, inventing and building, but lousy with people. It wasn’t so much that he hated them, the way Mal did, or looked down upon them like her mother. It was almost like he didn’t perceive people as being something different then objects.

To him a person was like a tool. You had to perform certain behaviors upon a piece of wiring to get it to work. You had to strip it, bend it and get it to an electricity source. To get a person to do what he wanted, he had to do the same thing. Make something for them, smile when it was needed, allow a certain amount of interaction. One was no more or less to him then the other.

 

At least that was what people claimed. Since she couldn’t get within 20 feet of Carlos without there being a fight (and the brat had some animal like senses. It was fucking impossible to sneak up or spy on him), she had been reduced to listening in to what other people are saying about him. And they said a lot, if you knew what to listen for. He didn’t bond with anyone. He had no friends, he had no confidants, nothing. And if her own mother was to be believed, he had no bond to Cruella or her to him.

Which might be it. Mal manipulated to get what she wanted, whether it was food, attention, or the Fairy Godmother’s wand. Carlos manipulated as a matter of survival and he was damn good at it.

Well, two could play at that game, “Thank you, Carlos. That’s a very kind thing for you to say. You too, Jay.”

Carlos narrowed his eyes at her, but did nothing else. He just moved sideways so that Jay was in between them. Jay tried to keep her engaged, “Let me guess, Evie wouldn’t get out of bed?”

“She threw a stuffed dragon at me,” Mal had to laugh a little about it. If Evie thought that was evil, she wouldn’t last 15 seconds on the Isle.

“Sounds like her in the morning. Did they give you a schedule for the rest of your classes yet?”

Normally, Mal would have given him the cold shoulder, like she gave it to everyone else but this was just too delicious. It might not have been obvious to anyone but her, but she could tell that Carlos was burning with jealousy right now. He didn’t like her talking to Jay one bit.

So she dialed it up instead, “They did.” She pulled the piece of paper out of her backpack. Jay looked it over. “We’ll have 4th and 8th period together. Lunch at the same time, too.”

“That’s cool,” she shot Carlos a smug look behind Jay’s back, and he flipped her off. She was definitely getting to him, awesome. “The three of us can have lunch together then. You too, Carlos, if you want to,” Suck on that you little bastard.

Once she had made her point she shut Carlos out entirely, ignoring him as if he didn’t exist. He was so quiet that it was easy to do. Jay kept talking to her, asking questions and telling her little bits and pieces about where they were going and the people and places that they were passing. She had to admit that he wasn’t too bad of a guy. Not Evie, but not horrible. He would probably still have a use when she was running this place.

If she could get him away from Carlos, that was. She noticed that he had somehow convinced Jay to carry his backpack for him and he didn’t stray more then a foot or so from the taller boys side. Interesting.

The Remedial Goodness classroom was huge; easily three or four times the size of the largest classroom on the Isle, “Big classroom for just two people.”

Jay grinned at her, “I think they just found one that no one was using this period. It’s kind of a brand new class.”

“Created just for us. Aren’t we lucky, Carlos?”

No response, but she didn’t expect one. Just that blank, steady stare, “Anyway, thank you for taking us to class, Jay. I’ll see you around.”

He took the hint and gave Carlos his backpack back, “I’ll see you in an hour, alright?”

Carlos cocked his head and nodded, cradling the backpack to his chest as if there was something fragile inside. Something like a bomb maybe? She wouldn’t put it past him.

“Come along children, it’s time for class to start! You can sit wherever you like, just make sure you can see the chalkboard. Thank you Jay, we will see you after class,” Fairy Godmother glided in. Of course, she was sans wand. Old bat couldn’t make anything easy on Mal.

Once Jay left, Fairy Godmother focused on the two of them. They had chosen seats as far away from each other as possible, just for safety’s sake, “I want to start by making it clear that the two of you are not in this class as punishment or because we think that you lack manners or grace. You are here because we want you to get off to the best possible start here in Auradon. You will have a very easy time here if you just remember the most basic tenet of goodness: think of others before you think of yourselves. If you are always sure to do that, your natural goodness will shine though.”

Mal glanced back just in time to see Carlos roll his eyes. For once, she couldn’t agree more. Maybe all of this ‘hold hands and love each other’ bullshit worked here in Auradon, but it would get you killed back home. You thought of yourself first because no one else was going to. This woman was worried about manners; they were worried about making sure they survived.

The lesson started with a picture of a tower and about a million arrows to compare it to goodness. Mal tuned it out because she already knew how to play this game. A peek over at Carlos revealed that he was busily making notes, but she would bet money that those notes had absolutely nothing to do with what was happening at the front of the classroom.

After what felt like a small eternity, the blathering stopped, “Now, I’m going to give the two of you a chance to demonstrate what you’ve learned. Carlos, it’s always nice and chivalrous to let a lady go first, so I’m going to start with Mal.” She flipped the board around and read along with the written question. “Now, if someone hands you a crying baby, do you A) curse it, B) lock it in a tower. C) give it a bottle or D) carve out its heart?”

Like the answer wasn’t obvious. Foolish, but obvious. If someone handed Mal a crying baby, it would have been unceremoniously dumped onto the ground. And if someone were foolish enough to hand Mal a baby, being dropped was probably the least of what would happen to that kid. Stupid parents raised stupid kids. “C. Give it a bottle.”

Fairy Godmother all but fell over with joy, “Correct! Ok, Carlos, it’s your turn. If you find a vial of poison, do you A) Put it in the king’s drink, B) paint it on an apple, or C) turn it over to the proper authorities?”

Oh sure. Like Carlos was just going to give her an answer, right or wrong. It was like they just thought if they kept talking to Carlos, he would magically talk back. Mal despised the little shit but even she knew that this wasn’t going to work.

Sure enough, he wasn’t even looking at Fairy Godmother, “Carlos? I need you to pay attention and answer the question.”

Ever so slowly, he raised his head and looked at her. Nothing. He wasn’t going to speak or even indicate an answer. Fairy Godmother waited. And waited. And waited. The minutes ticked by and it was now a battle of wills. One of them had to break.

In the end, it was Fairy Godmother who did so. She broke the staring contest and turned to Mal instead, “Mal, how about you give Carlos some help? Not the answer, just a little hint.”

When their eyes met, his sparked a little bit. He had won, and he knew and was pleased by it. It gave Mal a pause. Carlos was unstable and mean as a snake. But he was obviously smart and capable of applying himself when he felt like it benefited him. If she could pull him over to her side, he would have uses in getting that wand. It would be some work but she was willing to bet it could be done, “It’s easy. Just pick the one that doesn’t sound like any fun.”

His contemptuous blink told her that of course he knew the right answer. 10 minutes ago, he might have even been willing to point or indicate it in some other way. Now the fight was on and he wasn’t going to do anything he didn’t feel like. His completely passive resistance was something Mal had never seen before and it was absolutely fascinating.

So she spoke up instead, “The answer is C. Turn it over to the proper authorities.”

“Thank you, Mal. Carlos, I want you to study on this so you’ll know it for next time. Please make sure that you’ve copied everything on the board.”

For the first time, Mal noticed that someone had written ‘Mouths are for smiling, NOT biting’ in the corner. She had heard a rumor that Carlos tore a chunk out of someone on his first night there and it was apparently true. Interesting.

To her credit, Fairy Godmother definitely realized she had mistepped with Carlos and backed off. She didn’t exclude him and mentioned his name frequently while speaking, but she didn’t ask him another direct question.

Once the hour was up, Fairy Godmother dismissed them with an exhausted smile. It was the same tight look Jafar got when he had to deal with Mal as a child all day long. It was a smile that suggested he needed a stiff drink and a long nap to recover from the experience. “You both did very well today. There’s going to be a small quiz tomorrow on what we learned today, so study up. Together would be preferable, but you should be able to cover the material on your own as well. Good job, both of you.”

“Thank you for taking the time to teach us,” Mal spoke softly and gently. Evie would have been gracious, so Mal would be too.

“You’re welcome. Mal, I would like to speak to you after class. Carlos, study up on what we went over and I’ll see you tomorrow.”

She had wanted to speak to Carlos, but this was probably better. It would give her a chance to rehearse what she should say and maybe even ask Evie for a little help.

Carlos ambled out of the room, showing neither relief nor sadness. This class was just something unpleasant for him to deal with, just like a million other things that had happened to him in his life. Now it was over and he would move on to the next thing.

Once the door closed behind him (it was a glass door, so she could see that Jay was there and that they were both waiting for her), Fairy Godmother smiled at her. “I don’t know if you’ve heard but this upcoming weekend is a free one, where the older students are permitted a certain amount of freedom to go downtown and do some shopping. I want both you and Carlos to have the option of going with. There is a list of rules that I want you to look over. I’m going to provide both of you with some spending money for the trip, alright?”

This would be an amazing opportunity to see some of Auradon without a chaperone hanging over her shoulder and documenting her every move, “That sounds good, but why not talk to both of us about it?”

“Jay already told Carlos. And I wanted to make you an offer. Since I am standing in as your guardian for the present time, it is my responsibility to ensure that you are properly dressed for events. You are in need of a formal gown for events such as Prince Benjamin’s coronation.”

“Ok.” An idea occurred to Mal, one so exciting that she could barely hold back a squeal, “So this is a real coronation, right? Tons of visitors, spells being cast, wands being waved, party all night?”

“It is a real coronation. Lots of visitors, some spells, wands, and partying until a reasonable hour. I’ll consult my schedule and yours and we’ll make it a lunch date.”

“That sounds great. Thank you for taking the time with me.”

“You’re welcome, Sweetheart. Now go catch up with Carlos and Jay.”

Mal all but floated over across the room. The wand would be out at the Prince’s coronation. Granted, that was still several months away and she would have to keep her eyes open for a faster opportunity, but at least she had a timeframe. Things were definitely looking up.

****

She was not going to be nervous. This was her family not a strange contingent from a foreign country. She had the advantage and it would be good practice for later. With a deep breath, she picked up the phone and dialed. Her mother picked up on the second ring, “Evie! How’s it going, Baby? How are you and Mal getting along?”

“Good. We’re going to start getting the room ready for painting tomorrow. I think the boys are going to help us with the prep work.”

“How’s it going between Carlos and Mal? Any improvement there?” Belle sounded sympathetic.

“I don’t know. Mal said that she wouldn’t bother him any more and Jay said that Carlos agreed to the same thing, but it’s so strange between them. They’re both really good with Jay and I but when they’re together, they get so mean. And it’s not just one or the other. It’s like they could go after each other at any second. And I just…I feel like if they get started they won’t stop.”

Her mother hummed, “Have they actually done anything?”

“Not yet. But I know that they’ve fought really badly before. Carlos put a scar on Mal with a knife, and she claims that she’s done worse to him. I know that they might not actually ever be friends, but I just don’t want them to hurt each other. What do I do?”

“Do you know what they were fighting over?”

“Mal won’t tell me, but I think it started out as food. The first couple of times, at least. But now they just fight to fight. Because they like it.”

“Watch them closely, but keep letting them try and interact. You and Jay can model appropriate behavior and interactions for them until they get it. If they actually do try to hurt each other, we’ll re-evaluate. And for Goodness sake Evie, do not try to break them up yourself. Get help.”

Evie would have never dreamed of getting in between Carlos and Mal fighting. She valued all of her limbs, thank you very much, “Do you think they’ll ever be able to be safe together?”

“We can hope and have faith. Everyone can change Evie, and everyone deserves a chance to choose their own path in life. After all, look how much your father changed for me. He was far more savage and aggressive then Carlos and Mal have ever dreamed of being and now he’s a wonderful husband and ruler.”

Hearing that gave Evie a hope that she hadn’t had before. Her mother was right. If she and Jay gave Mal and Carlos enough chances and love, they could change, just like her father had. “I’m glad to hear that. There’s…um….there’s something else I wanted to ask you.”

“Don’t pause and stammer, dearest. If you have a request, present it strong and confident. Remember, a diplomat is never flustered and never begs. Ask as if you’re already sure you will get it.”

She knew that. But she was nervous, “I wanted to invite Mal to come over for dinner and to spend the night tonight. I don’t want her to feel left behind.”

Her mother sucked in a breath, and Evie felt her confidence falter, “Do you think she’s ready for sitting down to a nice dinner?”

“Yes. She’ll never learn anything unless someone teaches her. And I know that we can do it.”

“Very well. I’ll speak to your father and with his approval, you may invite both Mal and Carlos to dinner tonight. Jay is always welcome, of course.”

Evie knew that her father was curious to see Carlos and Mal again and see how they had grown and changed, but he was going to have to wait, “Jay and Carlos can’t come. They’re going over to Anita and Roger’s for dinner and he’s spending the night. Jay’s coming home unless Carlos freaks out without him.”

“It’s very kind of Anita to take an interest in Carlos. And even kinder to invite Jay along,” her mother was quite interested and it made Evie feel good. For once, she had the power and the information, not them.

“It was supposed to be just Carlos, but he got kind of freaked out and wouldn’t go without Jay. So she invited both of them.”

“That was kind of her. And how is little Carlos doing? Is he speaking at all?”

“Why do you call him that? Little Carlos, I mean,” she had noticed people doing that a lot. Mal was dangerous. They needed to worry about Mal. Carlos was little. Carlos was sweet. Carlos needed love and help. Both of those things were true, but they were true for both of them. Carlos was no more dangerous then Mal, but he was no less dangerous either.

“He is little, dear. You’re taller then he is,” her mother seemed confused as to what the problem was.

“Mal’s little, too. Everyone acts like he’s better then her and he isn’t. And he doesn’t talk, either.” Evie had debated long and hard with herself about what to do with the information that Carlos could speak. She had promised that she wouldn’t tell, but some promises needed to be broken, even in a good society. If the secret was dangerous or harmful to the either party, it was far less of an issue to tell it then keep it. But she didn’t think this quite qualified. Carlos was hurting no one but himself and breaking the tiny amount of trust she had built with him wasn’t a good idea. She would take his secret to her grave, just like she had promised.

“Nobody is acting like that, dear. But if you would like for Mal to come to dinner so we can get to know her a little better, feel free to invite her. Ask what she might like to eat, so we can have some familiar foods around.”

Mal liked to eat everything. While she had shown preferences, she was also very adventurous and (once she determined she was unlikely to be poisoned) was willing to try most everything. Carlos as well, though she got the impression that his willingness was less of an enthusiastic palate and more of just being grateful that there was food available.

“I’ll speak to her. But everyone does act like Mal is more evil then Carlos. Maybe you don’t see it, but I do. And if I see it, she sees it.”

“Duly noted. I will try to watch how I speak about both of the children from here on out.”

She felt a little better after hearing that. She adored Carlos already (how could you not? He was her little brother, no matter what her mother claimed), but Mal deserved people looking out for her as well. The only people in her life who cared right now were Evie and Jay, and it would never occur to Jay to speak up. Not out of meanness, but because he didn’t think about things like that. It didn’t matter what people said. Kind people were kind to him, they were awesome. If they talked about him, they were dicks and not worth his time. It all just rolled off of his back.

The conversation lightened from there, with Belle asking about how classes were going and if she and Mal had everything they needed and when she might want to join Ben and their father at court next. As a little girl, Evie had hated going to court. It was long, and you were expected to be attentive the entire time, and Ben was going to take the crown anyway, so what was the point?

But now that she was going to be a diplomat, she understood. She was still expected to be attentive, but now she had the added task of not only paying attention to the words being said, but the body language and facial expressions of those saying it. Anything that was said or done needed to be noted so she could use it as needed in the future. Court was transformed from something she had to do to something that was almost a game.

And she was good at it. Before, she had always thought that it was something she had gotten from her mother. After all, they all knew that Beauty had tamed the Beast, not through brute strength, but by her wiles and her quick mind. Evie was just following in her mother’s footsteps.

But now she wondered. Were these skills from what her mother had taught her, or things that were in her blood from the Island? She had been born there and her mother was still there. Was this talent for manipulating and using other people to her own advantage something that she had been born with or taught? Did it even matter? As long as she used it for the greater good of Auradon and not wickedness, she was still a good girl, wasn’t she?

“Do you need your father and brother to come in and help with the painting? I know you and Mal will want to do the detail work yourself, but do you need help with the priming?”

“No, Carlos and Jay are going to come help us. I think it will be fun for us and that way we can surprise everyone when it’s done.”

Which should be any minute now. She had felt a little bad sending Jay to do the pick-up as well, but she had to get her fabric covered and stashed safely away. She had seen how Jay wielded a paintbrush, and was expecting one heck of a mess.

“If you’re sure...” Her mother didn’t sound too certain, which meant she probably remembered what happened when Jay got a paintbrush as well.

“I am. I’ll talk to Mal and call you back with what she’s like for dinner. I love you.”

“Love you, too.” They disconnected and Evie went back to covering fabric and putting down plastic sheets to protect the floor. Hopefully this wouldn’t end up in a paint-slinging disaster. She was still taping off the floorboards and windowsills when Jay arrived with Carlos and Mal, “Hey guys.”

Mal smiled at her, “Hello, Princess.” Evie’s face burned and she just knew that she was a shade of red that clashed unattractively with her hair. Jay noticed and shot her a ‘really, Evie!’ look.

Carlos, on the other hand, shied back, his eyes turning downward. She had expected it from him. After all, she had gotten him to reveal his biggest secret and he didn’t completely trust that she wouldn’t just tell everyone.

She wanted to run to him and hold him until he felt safe here with them. But that would have been the worst possible thing to do. She just had to be patient and let him come to them. He would do it eventually. She had to believe that.

“I just need to finish taping things off and we’ll be ready to start. We need to get these walls white, so whatever Mal chooses to paint will really pop and it won’t look like…what did you call it, Mal?”

The other girl smirked, “A walking tampon commercial.”

Carlos gave an immediate snort, a smile lifting the corners of his mouth. It was cute and it made both Jay and Evie laugh as well. “Right, a walking tampon commercial. Jay and Carlos, you two are taller so you use the rollers. Mal and I will do the detail work around the windows and floor. I have a stepstool for you to get closer to the ceiling."

Carefully, she poured the paint into the pan and handed each boy a roller, “I don’t know how many coats this is going to take.”

They both immediately got to work, each taking a wall. She noticed that Carlos took a position where he could be aware of the rest of them. But he dipped his roller in and worked quietly. It was his style to move in blocks, making sure each bit was covered before he went to the next. Jay was more of the ‘smear it on as fast as you can in huge zigzags and hope for the best’ school of thought. He was the reason she had put so much protection down on the floor.

“How was Remedial Goodness? Were you the star of the show?” Evie smiled at Mal so the other girl would know that she was teasing her.

“Of course. It’s totally easy if you don’t overthink it,” Mal worked on the trim, her hands moving smoothly and gracefully.

“How about you, Carlos? Was it easy?” Things were going very well with Mal and Carlos in the same room, and she didn’t want to mess things up.

He flicked his eyes over at her and nodded.

Mal gave him a quick look and started to say something, but then changed her mind. She gave Carlos another sideways stare and finally said, “Yeah, he knew his shit.”

Carlos startled a bit and gave Mal a suspicious look. Clearly something had happened in class that neither one of them wanted to talk about.

“Did she mention quizzing you on what you learned? Fairy Godmother is big into quizzes,” Evie made sure not to speak directly at either one of them. Mal would be jealous if she thought Evie was talking to Carlos and Carlos wouldn’t even make an attempt to respond if she spoke to Mal.

“Yeah. I’m ready for it, though. I just have to pick whatever the most boring idea is and I’ll be golden,” she was completely flippant about it.

“What about you, C? You got it?” Jay did his best to keep everyone in the conversation, whether they felt like talking or not.

Carlos nodded without looking, still focused on his squares, “Do you need me to help you study? Did you take notes?”

He shook his head, which was apparently the answer to both questions, “Ok, as long as you’re sure you know it.”

Evie tried to steer the conversation back onto more neutral ground, “So, are the four of us on for this weekend? I was thinking that it would be fun to show Carlos and Mal around Auradon.”

“I want to,” Mal spoke quickly. “It would be nice to get to explore my new home a bit more.”

There it was again, that tiny false note that nobody else seemed to notice. While Evie didn’t doubt that Mal was excited to get out and explore, but she knew that Auradon was not yet home to either Carlos or Mal. It was just the place they happened to settle in right now.

“Great. What about you, Carlos? I’m thinking lunch and there’s an awesome park. I don’t know if you’d be into the shopping thing.”

“Of course he will. I’m trying to get him into my design class. I think he’ll be amazing at it and we have to start looking at some fabrics so he can get some ideas." She had been thinking about this for a while. Mal was ready to start classes now. Carlos was not. But if he could take Remedial Goodness, Dance, and Design, it was a good start. One academic class, one Physical Education class, and one elective. It was a start.

“That will be pretty awesome. You can learn a lot from Evie when it comes to that sort of stuff,” Jay immediately picked up on how important it was for him to be supportive of her suggestions.

Again, Carlos nodded without looking. He focused deeply on one thing and blocked out the rest. Right now, he was thinking about painting the wall and he didn’t have time to worry about much else. Of course, he was always aware of every person in the room as well, which had to be mentally taxing. “Excellent.”

Jay laughed, “You’re going to be the most popular guy there, C. The only other boy in the class is Pete and he’s sprinkled on a bit too much of that fairy dust, if you get my drift.”

Evie rolled her eyes. Of course Carlos didn’t ‘get his drift’. They had to remember that neither Carlos or Mal would be familiar with their slang. Sure enough, Carlos was clearly baffled, “He means that Pete isn’t interested in girls. Remember us talking about that? All the girls would fawn over you.”

“Carlos doesn’t like girls either, do you Carlos? Or boys. To be honest, I’m not even sure which one he is,” Mal had to get a dig in.

“Shut up Mal,” Jay jumped to his new roommate’s defense. Carlos gave her a dirty look and his middle finger.

“Mal, that isn’t a ladylike thing to say.”

“Neither is pointing a middle finger at someone,” she was still glaring daggers at Carlos.

“No it isn’t. But there’s no reason to antagonize someone. You catch more flies with honey then vinegar.”

“Why would you want flies?” Mal narrowed her eyes at Evie, clearly thinking she was being played for the fool.

“It just means that the kinder you are, the more people will want to do for you. Speaking of nice things, my parents wanted to invite you to dinner tonight. It won’t be super fancy and I won’t let my father be too intrusive with his questions.”

“Of course. It’s not everyone who gets to go to dinner with the king,” Mal gave her that smirking smile that made Evie’s heart jump every time. “I will be a delightful little lady who catches all her flies with honey.”

Her face was such a picture of exaggerated innocence that they all had to laugh, even Carlos. Granted, his laugh was soundless, but he definitely found the humor in this. It was such a huge change from the little ghost that Jay had described on the day they first met.

“He wanted to invite you boys as well, but this time it’s just for Mal and I.”

“It’s cool, C and I are going over to Roger and Anita’s tonight for dinner. It’s going to be awesome.”

You would have to know Jay very well to hear the nerves in his voice. He wasn’t sure at all that this was going to be awesome. But he didn’t want to make Carlos nervous.

Evie really hoped that the night went well. Anita was a really fun woman who always took time out for the kids around Auradon. Every time there was a litter of Dalmatians on the ground, her home became the base for dozens of children wanting to coddle and pet the plump babies. She never turned them away and always had snacks and drinks. Evie could still remember the weight of the wiggling puppy in her arms and the way its spots had grown and darkened as it changed from a blind gerbil into a playful puppy that nibbled on her hair and could chase a ball. She had begged her mother to take one home to no avail.

It was the day she learned that she couldn’t always get what she wanted. She also learned that didn’t just apply to her. On the way home, she asked why Anita and Roger didn’t have a little girl for her to play with. Surely that girl would be the luckiest kid in the entire world to grow up surrounded by the Dalmatians and their puppies.

Her mother had gotten very quiet, and finally told her that it just hadn’t happened that way for Anita and Roger. She also reminded Evie that it was a rude question to ask. Wanting a baby and not being able to have one was a million times worse then not getting that puppy.

It was pretty obvious that Anita and Roger would have taken Carlos in a heartbeat if he had been stolen with the rest of them. She wondered though, why Anita hadn’t taken one of the other kids. There had been dozens and surely a woman who couldn’t have a baby of her own would be at the top of the list.

She put the thought away to ask her mother about later, “You two will have a good time, and Mal and I will have our girl time. How does everyone’s wall look?”

As she could have predicted, Carlos had his wall neatly covered top to bottom without a singled spilled drop of paint. It looked like something a professional could have done. Jay’s wall was covered as well, but it looked like he had slung the paint more then actually rolled it on. Her own trim was done, but Mal kept getting distracted by staring at the walls in front of her, as if she was already choosing what she was going to paint. Evie couldn’t wait.

“How about we order pizza? We can get a couple. Mal, I think you’ll like pineapple and Carlos might like barbeque.”

Her offer was met with enthusiastic cheers and one thumbs up. Evie smiled inwardly. Her plan was coming off without a hitch. Except for one small comment and one middle finger, Carlos and Mal had gotten along very well. They had worked on the same project, if not exactly together, and no one had gone for a weapon at any point. While that might not have seemed like much to someone raised in Auradon, it was huge for them.

Slowly but surely they were making it work. She, Jay, Mal, and Carlos were doing it. Not her father, not his court, not any adult, just them. It was a pretty amazing feeling.

*****

 

“Toothbrush, pajamas, outfit for tomorrow. Blanket if you want it,” Jay listed off the things that Carlos was going to need for his sleepover. “Toiletries.”

He had to give Carlos something to focus on, before the poor kid had a nervous breakdown. He had agreed to spend the night at Anita and Rogers when it was first suggested and agreed again the day before, but now he seemed to be having second thoughts.

As much as Jay wanted to tell him it was fine and cancel the whole thing, he couldn’t. Carlos had adapted super well to living with Jay. Except for when he was sleeping, Jay couldn’t remember the last time he had seen the other boy hiding under the bed. Far from cringing and folding into himself when Jay came home, he now eagerly showed him whatever he had been tinkering with that day. He played video games and helped Jay with his homework almost every single night. They were doing great.

Which meant it was time to push the little black and white bird from the nest. He had a safe place to come back to and he had someone that he trusted. Now it was time for Carlos to expand his world. Classes were a step. So was spending time with other people.

He watched as Carlos neatly folded his clothing and the blanket Evie had given him. That thing had definitely become his comfort object, which was cute. He had come with almost nothing and it was sweet to see him enjoy Evie’s present, “I’m going to spend the night at my parents, so I won’t be here either. Are you nervous?”

Carlos nodded, packing his stuff into the duffle bag Jay had given him. “I would be a little nervous too. But it’ll be alright. Everything’s worked out well here so far, right?”

Carlos nodded, but he still looked like he wanted to either cry or throw up, “Remember, I’ll be there for dinner. It’s only overnight and I know you can do it.”

He just hoped that his confidence could carry them both through. His main fear was the dogs that he still knew were there. Smudge and Dashes were really friendly dogs and Jay saw Roger or Anita walking them pretty frequently when he was downtown. They always stopped for pets and never barked or jumped.

But Carlos wasn’t going to see it that way. Carlos was going to see two huge dogs coming straight at him. The same kind of dogs that had gotten his mother banished to the Island. The dogs who had destroyed her life and by extension, his.

If they could get past the dogs, there was a pretty good chance that things wouldn’t go horribly. Carlos seemed to really like Anita, and he certainly liked people who fed him.

“Ready?” Since he was going home, Jay just threw some toiletries in his backpack and called it good. “Fairy Godmother is probably waiting.”

They didn’t sneak out after curfew every night, but it had definitely happened more then once. Carlos seemed to favor rainy nights for exploring, even more so if it was storming. They had gone through the Tourney fields and explored the equipment. That was the night that Jay discovered Carlos could pick locks. Was there anything he couldn’t do? Well, except talk.

Sure enough, the woman was waiting next to a nice coach. It wasn’t as elaborate as the limo that had been sent to retrieve him from the Island, but Jay was willing to bet it was still nicer then most cars Carlos had seen. He took the duffel bag and put it in the trunk, “Hop in.”

He had learned enough about Carlos over the past few weeks to know that he just wanted peace and quiet right now. He was nervous and he was trying to hide it, any interaction was just going to distract him and make things worse. He didn’t want to be soothed and he certainly didn’t want to be touched. Jay was cool with that.

Fairy Godmother however, kept right on rambling, “Remember Carlos, Anita is being very kind to offer to take you for the night. I want you to use all of your manners and act like the gentleman I know you are capable of being. Being allowed off campus is a privilege that is earned and can be taken away if I hear that you have conducted yourself poorly. I want you to think about your table manners and-“

“He knows.” Normally Jay wouldn’t talk back to an adult like that, much less Fairy Godmother, but she was just making a tough situation worse. Carlos had his hands locked together, the knuckles completely white. If he wouldn’t speak up for himself, Jay would do it for him, “He knows what to do, quit making him all freaked out. We’re going to be fine and we don’t need any extra tips. Thank you, though.”

It probably wasn’t the most tactful way he could have put it, but it did get the point across. Fairy Godmother fell quiet and Carlos relaxed a tiny bit. Jay poked him in the leg, and was pleased when Carlos didn’t jump or try to move away, “We’re going out of town. Pay attention, because it’s really pretty.”

Once Auradon had been formed, Roger and Anita had made good on their promise of the Dalmatian Plantation and moved out to the country. Jay had seen dozens of pictures of the Dalmatians playing and sleeping and running wild. Hopefully the dogs wouldn’t be too wild, though.

Anita must have been listening for the car because she had the door open as soon as they pulled up. Carlos was immediately on high alert, no doubt looking for a hoard of slavering beasts. Jay patted his shoulder, “There are only two of them and they won’t hurt you, remember? This is going to be great.”

Carlos looked deeply into Jay’s eyes, like he was deciding all over again whether or not Jay was to be trusted. Then he heaved a quick sigh and stepped out.

Anita waved to Fairy Godmother, “Thank you for bringing the boys, Dearest! I’ll make sure to return them in the condition I got them!” She was already hustling them inside as she spoke.

Jay made sure to keep in front, in case either dog was too enthusiastic with its greeting. Though he was pretty sure Dashes was pregnant, so that should slow her down quite a bit. Carlos pressed to his back, eyes scanning frantically for any sign of a threat.

Anita noticed and quickly deduced what the problem was, “I sent the dogs to the kennel for tonight. I thought things might go a little smoother if we didn’t have that worry.”

It was kind of her to think of that and Jay felt his heart soften a little more, especially when Carlos sighed and gave Anita timid smile. She returned it immediately, “Come on, let me show you around.”

Room by room, she walked them through the house, making sure that they both understood that they were welcome to explore on their own and, with the exception of her and Roger’s bedroom, there was nowhere forbidden.

“This is your room, Carlos. Fairy Godmother told me your favorite colors, so I got a few things but I thought that you would want to pick most of the decorations out on your own. We can do that the next time you come. I hope you’ll want to stay a little longer, maybe a full weekend?”

Carlos nodded, though he still looked a bit stunned. It was still amazing to him every time someone did something nice for him, “This room doesn’t have its own bathroom, but you can use the one down the hall. Now let me show you outside.”

There were trees outside that just made Jay itch to try and climb them. Anita saw and smiled, “There’s a pond out back that’s deep enough to swim in. Can you swim, Carlos?”

He shook his head, eyes huge, “That’s alright, Sweetheart. I want you to keep away from the pond until you’re able to though. For safety.”

Judging by the confused look on his face, Jay didn’t think that anyone had cared too much about Carlos’ safety before, “I don’t want anything to happen to you. I know that Jay is a good swimmer and he can teach you, or I’ll see about getting you some lessons if you want to learn. Anyway, this is the garden. We’ll be making our salads out of it for tonight and you can help me pick some veggies tomorrow morning before it gets too hot.”

Jay had to admit, he was impressed with how she was handling this. She spoke too Carlos rather then at him and gave him plenty of time to answer instead of looking at Jay to speak for him. She explained the set up and the rules in a calm and nonthreatening way.

“I thought that I would have Roger man the grill for tonight. I have some steaks, if both of you boys like that.”

They both nodded, though Carlos would have probably nodded if Anita told him it was bread sandwiches and rat poison for dinner.

“Sounds good, then. Are you hungry now?”

Carlos nodded enthusiastically, which made both Jay and Anita laugh. It was the first strong opinion he had expressed so far and it was nice to see.

“Come on back inside then and we’ll tell Roger that it’s time to get started,” she put an arm around Carlos’ shoulders to turn him gently. Carlos startled badly, but he didn’t actually yank away from her the way he would have done to anyone else. He didn’t lean in either, but it was a huge step forward. “He’s back in the music room and he goes absolutely deaf when he’s playing.”

She led them back into the house, pounding on a door down the back of the hallway, “Roger! Roger, our guests are here.”

There had been very faint music drifting from the room but it stopped and footsteps approached, “Anita Dear, did you call me?” He looked past her to the boys. “Oh, right, the boys are here!”

He had clearly been working on a composition, as he had several splotches of ink on his face and hands. The effect was not unlike that of his beloved Dalmatian dogs, “Welcome to our house. Jay, it’s nice to see you again and Carlos, it’s lovely to meet you.”

“The boys are hungry Roger, and we have to make sure Jay eats so his parents can pick him up at a decent hour.”

“Young lads are always hungry. Can’t let them starve, now can we?”

Belatedly, Jay remembered his manners. “Is there anything Carlos or I could do to help?”

“Oh no, you two are guests! You can go explore while I help Roger. We’ll call you when it’s time.”

Well, he wasn’t going to give her a chance to change her mind, “Come on, C.”

Carlos allowed himself to be tugged along, clearly overwhelmed. “Let’s go look at the pictures.”

He had seen a wall filled with pictures in the parlor and he was curious to take a closer look at them. He loved seeing family pictures, imagining who those people had been and what they would think about where their pictures had ended up.

One of the walls had nothing but pictures of the dogs and Carlos shuddered and turned away from it. He was more interested in the pictures of the people that Jay assumed were Roger and Anita’s friends and family.

There were even a few with Cruella, which surprised Jay. If he had been friends with someone who went crazy and tried to skin a bunch of his puppies, he would probably keep that pretty tight under wraps.

But Cruella didn’t look crazy in any of the pictures that were up. She looked normal, like she had in the pictures Anita brought Carlos when she came to visit. Pictures that Jay had fished out of the trash can as soon as Carlos went to the bathroom and hidden in the back of his closet. He wasn’t sure why he had done that, only that it seemed important that they not be thrown away.

But Carlos wasn’t ready to look at them, so he tried to gently steer him away. Unfortunately, his actions only served to make Carlos more interested and the kid twisted around him to have a look himself. Instantly his face clouded over and he reached out to touch one of the pictures. Then he looked over at Jay, his face a question.

Only Jay had no idea what the question was. So he shrugged and tried to play it off, “Weird, huh?”

Carlos nodded and turned away, looking at something else. Jay wished, more then anything he had ever wished for in his life, that he would be able to understand what was going through Carlos’ head. His mother would sometimes smile and call something difficult an ‘enigma shrouded in mystery’. Jay hadn’t really understood what that was before, but he sure did now.

“Boys? Wash up for dinner, please.” Anita poked her head in, “Would you like milk or water to drink?”

“Milk for both of us, please.” At first, it had been a struggle to get Carlos to even touch a glass of milk. Which wouldn’t have been a problem, except the doctors were trying to get as many calories into him as possible and he was so freaking small and fragile looking that he needed the calcium. Jay prodded and coaxed, taking small sips himself to prove that it wasn’t poisoned or whatever weird thing Carlos worried about. Turning it into chocolate milk helped, but Carlos would still pick it up and gulp the glass as fast as he could, nose wrinkled like he was swallowing a particularly nasty medicine.

In the end, it was Mal who revealed the real reason. Actually, Mal tended to reveal a lot of things that explained Carlos’ odd actions, whether she meant to or not. She too, had pushed the milk away, claiming it was disgusting and she wouldn’t drink it. Once Evie finally talked her into trying it, she had been shocked. It was cold, with no lumps or sour taste. She had never realized what milk tasted like when it was fresh.

With that in mind, it was a lot easier to have patience with Carlos and his issue. Rather then keep pushing; he pulled out a secret weapon: the Reese’s Peanut Butter cups that Carlos would do anything for. Several scoops of ice cream (which he made sure to causally mention was made from milk) and a few splashes of milk into the blender he had borrowed from the home ec lab, and he had a pretty decent milkshake. Carlos watched his favorite vantage point in the window, torn between being fascinated by the milkshake and being fascinated by the blender itself. He adored machinery of all types.

Once the shake was made Jay poured some into a glass and drank, leaving the second one empty. Carlos hopped down and picked it up, holding it out to Jay beseechingly. Once you got the hang of dealing with him and quit expecting him to talk, he was actually quite communicative.

“You don’t like milk, remember? This is 90% milk, because ice cream is made from it too,” he felt bad denying Carlos food, but they had to push past this.

Carlos cocked his head and held out the glass again, “You want to try? I guess, but don’t drink it too fast. You’ll get yourself a brain freeze.”

His companion grimaced, no doubt remembering what had happened when he had gobbled a double scoop of ice cream as fast as humanly possible. For a moment he hesitated, torn between his hatred of milk and his love for Peanut butter Cups and everything Jay was up to. Jay waited, not pushing him in either direction. Finally Carlos reached out and put his cup in Jay’s hand. The words were as clear as if he had actually spoken. Yes, I will have a milkshake and yes, I will drink it slowly.

Hiding his smile, Jay poured him half a cup, “Slowly.”

Carlos took a slow sip and stopped, looking confused. Then he took another one, studying the cup as if all the mysteries of the universe were written inside of it. “What’s wrong?”

Instead of replaying, Carlos held the cup out again, asking for more. This time Jay filled first the other boy’s cup, then his own, “That’s it, Dude, no more.”

Again, Carlos drank happily, making short work of the glass and completely ruining his dinner. Good, good. Time for step two. Jay was already uncomfortably full of liquid, but he poured himself a glass of milk. “You want one?”

He could already see that Carlos was having trouble completely clearing his mouth and throat of the sticky candy chunks. Carlos didn’t look terribly happy about it, but he nodded, “Ok, drink it slowly too, because you’re going to make yourself puke if you gulp.”

Carlos was obedient if nothing else, and he took a sip of the milk, then another. He sipped the glass in silence, without making any of his usual death faces. And that was it. He didn’t ask for more, nor make any gestures to suggest he had actually liked it, but he did drink.

And that was it. He helped Jay take everything back to the Home Ec room and nodded happily at the suggestion that they could try making all sorts of milkshakes and smoothies and they left it at that.

Since Carlos had been so nonplussed about the entire thing, Jay figured that his gambit had been a failure. Ok, well back to the drawing board.

Evie had been kind enough to bring a weekly menu for the cafeteria, so that Carlos could just point at what he wanted. While Jay had yet to see him actually reject anything, he was starting to express some pretty clear preferences. Waffles over pancakes, though both needed to be smothered in syrup and butter. If Luma was working in the kitchen when Jay came down there, she would sometime sneak a scoop of ice cream on top of Carlos’ waffle, sternly reminding him that it was for Carlos and not to eat it himself. He preferred oatmeal with brown sugar to grits and liked his eggs cooked over medium, so he could sop the yolk up with his toast. Yogurt was generally accepted, especially if it was flavored and he couldn’t get enough fruit of all types.

While he would have preferred to drink soda with every meal, Carlos also really liked juice and quite happily accept that instead. That morning though, Carlos pointed at the milk instead of juice or water. When it arrived he drank it without complaint or drama.

And he had asked for milk every morning since and for most dinners as well. No fuss, no begging, no ordering or force. Just letting it go for a while.

He was brought back to reality by Carlos tugging on his arm. What? Oh yeah, they were supposed to be washing their hands. He let Carlos lead him back to the bathroom, “How are you holding up? Still good?”

Carlos nodded, primly scrubbing and drying his hands. “You’re going to be ok when I leave?”

Another nod, completely confident. It caused a pang that Jay wasn’t entirely comfortable with. It wasn’t that he didn’t want Carlos to be happy and comfortable with other people but….well, he liked being Carlos’ favorite person. A part of him just didn’t want to share.

“Good. Ready for dinner?”

Anita had already set the table and put out drinks and the salad, and Roger was putting down the steaks. Belatedly, Jay realized he should have considered that they might pray and coached Carlos on what to do. It didn’t end up being an issue and Anita served both of them a plateful, “There’s plenty of salad and bread, so just ask if you need more.”

She talked to both of them while they ate, asking Jay how Tourney was going this year and what classes he was taking. He had always liked talking to Anita because he felt like she was really curious about what was going on instead of just asking to be polite. She remembered what he had told her when they had met before and asked how things had changed.

“And what about you, Carlos? Are you thinking of trying out for Tourney?”

He emphatically shook his head, “No? Are you taking PE this year?”

Jay stepped in, “He’s going to take dance. We’re going Monday so Annie can look him over and see what he can do.” Hopefully he would be able to watch, since he was pretty curious about it himself. Carlos clearly loved music and would happily spend hours in front of Jay’s radio, fingers resting on the speakers as he stared into them. But Jay had never actually seen him dancing.

“Oh, really? I took ballet as a girl but I just wasn’t graceful enough when I got older. You’ll have to let Roger know when the showcase is so we can watch you perform.”

Carlos gave her a surprised smile, as if it had never occurred to him that anyone would care. Despite his nerves, he was on his best behavior. He sat up straight and used all of his best table manners. He didn’t gulp his food and he was getting much more proficient with a knife and fork. Really, except for his silence, he could have passed as being their actual son, having a friend over for dinner.

Dinner was delicious and they both ate well. Carlos ate the steak, trying all the degrees of doneness before settling on rare. He was sometimes a little iffy with meat, though Jay wasn’t sure if it was due to the texture and chewing required or more fears about eating something that would make him sick. The salad disappeared as well, leaving Jay to wonder where he was putting it. He could tell the Carlos had gained weight in the past few weeks and even thought he might be taller. It was kind of sad to think that the only reason he was so small was because no one was feeding him properly.

As much as Jay tried to drag it out, dinner was over in short order and it was time for Jay to call his parents to come get him. Carlos furrowed his brow, but he didn’t seem to be overly upset. Jay forced a smile, “I’ll see you tomorrow, ok? Have fun.”

He had a brief mental debate and held out his arms in case Carlos wanted a hug. He had seen Jay hug Evie many times, though he had never made a move towards wanting one for himself. For a moment the other boy debated, then edged forward for a quick squeeze. He didn’t hug back, but he did lean on Jay for a brief second.

He had to pull himself together. He had only known Carlos for a few weeks and that kid had survived 16 years alone in the worst imaginable place on the planet. He could certainly make it one night without Jay in a safe, comfortable home.

So why did he feel like his heart was breaking?

******  
He was sad. No, wait, was he sad? Carlos wasn’t sure. It felt like sad, but there was really nothing for him to be sad about. It was a completely illogical feeling, and stupid besides.

Jay was leaving, but he didn’t need to be sad about that. Everyone left him in the end. Cruella, Darling, the doctors, everyone. He couldn’t count on anyone. Jay had been nicer then everyone else and had spend the most time with him, even if he didn’t stick around for the longest. Maybe he would come back tomorrow and maybe he wouldn’t. Maybe Carlos was just supposed to stay with Roger and Anita now until they got sick of him too. Then it was the streets.

Even that wasn’t really something to be sad about. It would be sad if he didn’t know how to take care of himself, or if he died. Sad for him, not for anyone else. It just was what it was and Carlos would adapt and survive, just like he always did. He would not give in to his emotions.

And he was going to move out of the window, where he had been watching the road Jay had gone down. There was no reason for him to still be there since Jay had gone out of sight several minutes ago. He was going to move in just a minute.

“It will be alright, Lad,” Roger had been watching him for about a minute. He spoke softly, as if he was afraid of startling Carlos.

Except Carlos didn’t get startled very often. His survival depended on being aware of himself and his surroundings at all times. He just chose not to acknowledge Roger.

It was safer that way. Carlos wasn’t stupid and he knew full well that Roger didn’t really want him here. He allowed it because it was what Anita wanted and clearly she ran this family. But he would rather Carlos not be here and he especially didn’t want Carlos around the dogs. He probably thought that Carlos would try to kill them, just like Cruella did.

Yeah right. Carlos had no desire to get close enough to the dogs to harm them. He wouldn’t be sad if something happened to them, but he wasn’t going to be the instrument of their demise.

But there was no reason to antagonize the man. Just because Anita was in charge right now, that didn’t mean that Roger didn’t have the authority to toss him out of the house if he felt like it.

So he followed the man back into the main part of the house. Anita was cleaning up the dinner dishes, but she had shooed him away when he had tried to help. He guessed that not having guests help with stuff was part of having Auradon manners instead of Island ones, but it made him nervous. At home he was expected to do all of it on the rare occasions that Cruella or Darling decided to eat with him. He cooked, set the table, cleaned up and then, if there was anything left, got to eat for himself. If it was Darling there was usually something left. If it was Cruella, not too often. Sometimes, if Cruella wasn’t around or was too far out of touch with reality to care, Darling tried to get him to eat at the same time she did. Carlos knew better. There were rules and one of them was that he ate alone and ate last. That wasn’t the rule here in Auradon. There were a lot of different rules here.

Once he had coaxed Carlos out of the window, Roger seemed a bit at a loss with what to actually do with him, “Would you like to listen to some music until Anita is finished?”

Sure, they could do that. They could listen to music or sort rocks or scrub toilets for all Carlos cared. All things he had done before and would probably end up doing again.

Once they were actually back in the music room, Roger sat down at his piano, “Can you play?”

No. There was a piano in one of the stores on the Island, but Carlos wasn’t allowed to even look at it. Cruella hated music and he was supposed to as well. But he didn’t. He liked how orderly it was, even though it changed from song to song. Your chord was either right or wrong, there was no in between. He shook his head at Roger.

“Maybe one day. If you like, I could give you some lessons the next time you come over.”

So he didn’t actually want Carlos there, but he wouldn’t be mean to him and would actually go out of his way to be kind. Why was this place so fucking weird? But he gave the man a timid nod. It would be nice to be able to make the music himself, instead of just listening to someone else make it.

This time, Roger’s smile was genuine, “Really? Anita has no interest in learning. Is there a song you want to hear?”

Carlos had learned dozens of songs since he had arrived in Auradon. His memory was good for both lyrics and melodies and Jay was generous with letting him listen to whatever station he wanted.

But now he couldn’t remember any of them. Roger’s happiness made him nervous. Happiness was excitement and excitement turned into aggression way too often. He saw it all the time with his mother. Cruella. Whatever she was to him.

Finally, one popped into his head. Roger was sure to know it, since he was the one who had written it. Carlos cocked his head and whistled the five familiar notes. It was his favorite song, the one he had learned to whistle before he was quite two years old. Darling hated it but it always made Cruella laugh and claim that he must be her whelp after all.

Roger blanched and Carlos wondered if this had been a misstep. But the man put his hands to the keys and started playing the jaunty melody, “Do you know the words?”

Of course he did, though he had never spoken them. He just watched Roger until the man sang softly, “Cruella deVil. Cruella deVil. If she doesn’t scare you, no evil thing will….”

There it was, a familiar song when everything else was so different then he was used to. It made him have that sad feeling again, even though there still wasn’t a reason for it.

“Roger! Do you think that that’s an appropriate song to be singing in front of Carlos?” Anita popped her head in, giving the man a dirty look, “He’s supposed to be having a good time here.”

“It was the gentleman’s choice!” Roger protested. “Right?”

It took Carlos a minute to realize that Roger was both referring to him as a gentleman (that was the first time that had ever happened) and asking for some back-up. He whistled again, giving Anita the smile that Jay told him was cute.

She still didn’t look very happy, but she let it go, “Carlos, sweetie, are you ready to come with me? I’m done with the dishes.”

Everyone in Auradon was so interested in having his attention. Jay always wanted to hang around, Fairy Godmother actually noticed whether or not he was paying attention to her, Anita and Roger were both courting him. Back home, no one ever noticed what he was doing or cared if they did. As long as the chores were done and his inventions were delivered on time, Carlos himself was irrevelant.

It was overwhelming. He didn’t mind sharing his room with Jay and sometimes doing things with him, but he liked it when Jay was in class and he had a chance to relax. He still couldn’t fully relax when Jay was around, no matter how nice the other boy had been so far.

He guessed he understood why they didn’t trust him to be alone though. Even though the dogs weren’t there (and he did believe that they weren’t. There was a note on the calendar in the kitchen to take them to the kennel this morning. A huge part of staying safe was being extremely observant), he could still do plenty of damage if left alone. They might not know the extent of what he was capable of but they were right to be worried. He didn’t have any particular desire to hurt Anita or Roger or Jay for that matter, but that didn’t mean that he wouldn’t if he had to.

Anita had the table cleared and a book sitting open on top of it. Was he supposed to be doing schoolwork? He hadn’t planned on it, but sure. She pushed the book towards him, “I know that you don’t feel like talking and that’s fine. You can do whatever you like and I’m not going to try and make you do it. But you need some way to communicate with us. This book is going to teach you some signs.”

He was curious despite himself. The book had little picture of hands, and those hands were in different positions. Each position or sometimes movement made a word. Anita flipped the pages, “It would be nice to know if you were hungry or thirsty, or if something was hurting you.”

Again, he didn’t understand why she cared. Most of the time he didn’t even care. He was used to being hungry, thirsty, and in pain. He felt at least one of those more often then not. Why would he tell someone about things he didn’t even notice himself any more?

That was probably one of those things that he shouldn’t share though. He might not know much, but he was definitely figuring out the things that made people here give him that pitying look. Carlos hated pity. It was a useless emotion and stupid, besides. What was there about him to pity? He survived the Island and he was surviving Auradon. Him. He did that. No adults, no help, just himself. They could save their pity for someone who needed it.

Anita turned the book towards him, “This is the alphabet.”

Carefully he stretched his fingers out and formed each letter of his name. First slowly, then quicker as he learned the movements. C-A-R-L-O-S. That was him. That was his name.

“You can take the book home with you and practice. I made copies of the alphabet and a few basic signs that you might need to use so I’ll know what you’re trying to tell me.”

Why was she being so nice to him? Everyone here acted like they really liked him and wanted him around and that couldn’t possibly be true. Carlos wasn’t good for anything except surviving and making things that mostly didn’t blow up on him. He didn’t need other people for either of those things. He didn’t have a good personality, he wasn’t strong, and he didn’t act smart, even if he was. He was worthless. Cruella told him all of those things and she certainly didn’t care enough to lie and spare his feelings.

By the time a few hours had passed, he had a lot of the book memorized. It was mostly useless knowledge, unless whoever he was signing at could understand it too, but that was alright. You never knew when something might come in handy.

The huge clock in the hallway rang and Anita jumped, “Oh, the time got away from me. It’s bedtime for you, Carlos. Get your pajamas on and I’ll come read you a story.”

It was like she was speaking a different language. No one had ever attempted to give Carlos a bedtime before. He went into his closet after Cruella was already asleep for the night, and he hoped to wake up before she could come in and hurt him. And certainly no one had ever read anything to him.

He pushed the book back towards her and carefully formed his new signs. First pointing to indicate himself, then spelling the correct word. I can read.

“Of course you can. But it’s nice to have someone do things for you sometimes.”

Yeah, people kept saying that. If he was being honest, they did come through for him. But he just couldn’t count on them. Experience had taught him that people tired quickly of being nice and dealing with him.

Experience had also taught him to go with the flow until he couldn’t any longer, so he nodded and went back to his bedroom. His pajamas were in his bag and he put them on quickly. Evie hadn’t made these, but whoever had bought them had made sure to do so in his favorite colors. Sometimes he wondered who paid for this shit.

He wasn’t exactly sure what to expect when he came out. Anita was sitting on the couch with a few books. “I thought you could pick one. We can do a chapter each night that you’re here.”

Carlos had never been a fan of stories. They were interesting, but completely pointless. But maybe it would be different now that he didn’t need to focus so much on surviving. He looked over the books, pausing to read the back of each. Then he noticed that each had a number ‘1’ on the spine. He pointed at it.

“They’re each the first book in a series. If you like it, we can do all of them.”

That meant she wanted him to come back, even though he hadn’t really done anything interesting or made something for her. Feeling more confused then ever, he pointed randomly at one of them. Anita picked it up, “You can sit with me on the couch or wherever you want.”

At home, on the Island, Carlos was not allowed on the furniture. He had his mattress, which he only got because Darling brought it after he outgrew his box, but he was never allowed on the couches or chairs. Sometimes he could sit at the table if Darling was around but mostly he took the floor.

So he sat on the floor here too, taking care to stay out of arms reach. He thought that maybe Anita would make him come sit with her, but she didn’t. She just opened the book and started reading, “Once there were four children whose names were Peter, Susan, Edmund and Lucy. This story is about something that…”

He could have read it faster himself, but there was something hypnotizing about having it read to him instead. He stared at Anita’s face, trying to figure out what made him unable to tear his eyes away.

Then he realized what it was. Anita was acting like a Mommy to him. Just like the ones in the books or that he saw on TV here. If the people from the Island had stolen him like they had the rest of the kids, she would probably have taken him. She could be his real Mommy and have been reading to him every night since he was a baby, instead of starting now.

For the first time, he was really seeing what he could have had and what he had lost because his mother couldn’t keep track of him or even remember she had a child. He would bet that Anita could have at least remembered to take him out of his box every single day.

He listened quietly and attentively until the chapter was over, then gave Anita a nod. He was feeling sad again, but at least this time he knew why. He had gotten screwed over and there was nothing he could do about it.

Anita closed the book and walked him back to his room, “I’m going to leave a little light on in the hallway in case you need to get up in the middle of the night. Is there anything else I can get you?”

He shook his head. He just wanted to be left alone to think about everything that had happened today. It was confusing and he needed some time.

“Alright then.” She gestured him into bed and tucked the blankets around him, just like a real Mommy. The best he could hope for from Cruella was being dropped into his box. If he was lucky, it would be from waist height, and not shoulder. Then she kissed his cheek and left the room.

Carlos put his fingers to where she had kissed him, as if her lips had burned him. No one had ever kissed him before, not even Darling. She had tried a few times when he was younger, but he pushed away until she gave up.

Why was Auradon so confusing? For a minute, he even wished he was back on the Island where at least he knew the rules. Here he felt like he was walking on eggshells, never sure of what he should do.

In the dim light coming in from the hall light, he raised his hand and moved his fingers, signing his name over and over again. There was a power in what he was doing, the same way writing his name had power. Saying it would have even more and he almost broke his silence to do so. Almost, but not yet. He could do it whenever he wanted, but now wasn’t the time. Instead he continued to watch his hands, noting every nuance of what he was doing.

Carlos. Carlos. Carlos.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I was reviewing the "Remedial Goodness" scene in the movie to pinch some dialogue. When I saw the "Mouths are for Smiling, Not Biting!" in the corner of the board, I almost died. I maintain that it was Carlos who did it.  
> Next chapter will back up a bit and have Mal and Evie's dinner with the king. Poor, poor King.


	13. Chapter 13

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am very sorry for the lateness of this chapter. It just won't come, no matter what I tried. Next chapter, though, will have two bonus POV's, partially to make up for this one, and partially because I felt like we needed some outsider views. Anyone want to guess who they will be?

Healing is a matter of time, but it is sometimes also a matter of opportunity.  
Hippocrates

 

Ladylike. Ladylike. She was going to be a perfect little Auradon lady. She would not curse or spit, or say anything negative about anyone, including Carlos. She would use her best manners and be just as feminine and delicate as Evie or the Queen herself. She would use her napkin, keep her knees together and talk about only positive topics.

Since no one could read her mind, she allowed herself the privacy of a single thought: being ladylike sucked more dick then Carlos did.

Please, she wasn’t a moron. She saw the adoring looks that Carlos was constantly shooting at Jay. If he wasn’t on his knees for the other boy yet, it was going to happen soon. That wasn’t what bothered her. She didn’t care what Carlos did with his cock as long as he kept it away from her.

What bothered her was that she didn’t have any idea why he was doing it. Was it just manipulation like she was trying to do with Evie? A simple desire for sexual contact? He was, after all, a teenage boy, and he must have the desires of one. Or had the moron actually fooled himself into thinking he had feelings for Jay? It didn’t seem likely since, as far as she could tell, Carlos didn’t exactly possess feelings. But the little freak had already proven to be more alert and manipulative than she would have given him credit for. This new side of him worried her. If she couldn’t predict what he would do, she couldn’t stay ahead of him. That was dangerous.

“Mal? Would you like me to do your hair?” Evie was trying to pretend that she wasn’t nervous but she had been fluttering around their room all day, fixing and re-fixing things that hadn’t needed to be moved in the first place.

“That would be nice, thank you,” she was nervous herself. What did you wear for dinner with the King? This was practice for the coronation. If they didn’t like her or she showed poor manners, her chances of getting the wand were significantly decreased. “You’re sure that this dress is fancy enough?”

“Of course. It’s just going to be the family and maybe one or two other people. This isn’t a formal dinner,” Evie gestured her into the bathroom.

A formal dinner with the King and Queen distracted by visiting dignitaries might have been preferable. As it was, the bulk of their attention would be on her, which was never good.

Evie turned on the brighter lights and studied Mal’s hair, “Can I trim it a bit? I won’t take off much. Just enough to get rid of the split ends and even it up.”

Mal had never thought much about her hair except to keep it out of her face when she was out and about. But Evie had beautiful hair and she wouldn’t do anything to make Mal ugly. And she could sense that being able to do this was important to Evie, “I guess.”

“You’ll be gorgeous, don’t worry,” Evie went through the bathroom drawer and came out with a comb and pair of extremely sharp looking scissors. Mal swallowed. Was she really going to let Evie wave a weapon around behind her head?

She was going to have to. She had already told the other girl yes and she was not going to back down and look afraid. Evie combed through Mal’s hair, taking extra care not to pull or yank, “Your hair is so pretty.”

No one had ever told her that before. Men whistled at her sometimes, but they were mostly looking at her developing body and pretty face. Her mother told her that she had perky breasts and a cute ass, and she better use both of them to her advantage. A woman’s body could be her greatest weapon and for Evil’s sake, Mal, did she really need that second helping? Did she want to end up looking like Ursula?

But her hair? It was an unusual color but it wasn’t sexy like her body. She knew that Evie found her sexy, so why was she focusing on the hair? You couldn’t screw hair. “Yours is pretty, too.”

Evie smiled and flushed a bit, “Thank you. Now chin up so I can see what I’m doing.”

The scissors snipped at the back of her neck and Mal had to force herself to hold completely still. She had to trust Evie, that the other girl wouldn’t stab her in the throat.

The actual trimming only took a few minutes, after which Evie pulled out a hair dryer and some mysterious products and worked for a few more minutes, “There you go. Perfect.”

Who was the girl looking back at her? Mal had already done her make-up for the day, softening it so she looked more feminine and less fierce, but the hair. It fell in slight waves around her face, “I look….” Adult? Beautiful? Good? “Not hideous.”

Evie smiled at her, “Not even close. Now put on the lilac dress. It looks so pretty with your eyes.”

The sight of the dress made her nerves rise a bit but she forced them down. If she was too afraid to even look at the royal family, how was she going to get the courage to snatch the wand?

Luckily, this dress was a simple one. The shoes didn’t have tall heels and there was a matching purse where she could hide a few things. She had a tiny nail file that could serve as a weapon in a pinch. It wasn’t quite a knife, but it was close enough and had the advantage of looking perfectly innocent.

Evie’s own dress was deep blue, almost as deep as her hair. She slipped it on expertly, fixing her make-up and jewelry with the air of someone who had done it a million times before. “Alright, we’re good,” she gave Mal a quick once over. “Oh, wait! I almost forgot, I got you something.” She rushed over to her dresser and pulled out a small box, “This is for you. I know it’s strange here and I wanted to remind you of home.”

Inside the box was a silver necklace with a silver dragon pendant inside. The pendant was beautiful and feminine, but with an air of danger. And judging by the weight and shine of it, it had not come cheap, “It’s for me?” No way Evie was just going to give this to her. There had to be strings attached.

“Of course. It’s not fancy, but it made me think of you.”

Clearly, Evie’s idea of ‘not fancy’ was a little skewed, “It’s beautiful.” She allowed Evie to fasten the chain around her neck. The dragon sparkled, and it gave her a little bit of confidence. It was like her mother was there, watching and reminding her that she was here for a job, not to look pretty.

A knock sounded at the door and Evie rushed to answer it. Ben stood on the other side looking every bit like the future ruler, “Ladies. I’m here to escort you as your knight in shining armor.”

Evie rolled her eyes, “In other words, Mom and Dad finally let you drive the car and you jumped at the chance.”

He grinned and he looked like a kid again, “Pretty much. You guys ready?” He took both of their bags, “I’m assuming that Mal is going to stay in your room, E, right? One of the guest rooms is set up in case you change your mind.”

Mal gave Evie a nervous look. She didn’t want to be separated from Evie in yet another strange place. Evie nodded slightly, “We’re staying together.”

“Cool,” He led them out of the dorm and to a waiting car. Mal didn’t know much about cars considering that the only one she had actually seen on the Isle was Cruella’s bucket of rust, but she knew enough to know that this one was fancy.

Ben opened the doors for them like a gentleman was supposed to and put their bags in the back. She would have thought that he would have some sort of servant for that. He also held out a hand to help them each into the car. She could see why all of the girls swooned when he walked by.

During the ride, Evie pumped her brother for information on who would be coming to dinner. One husband and wife team from some country Mal had never heard of, some dignitary from Arendelle ahead of visiting royalty, and one old friend of the King and Queen that made Evie squeal with excitement, “He’s like an uncle to Ben and I. We’ve known him since we were babies.”

Mal couldn’t think of a single person she had known since she was a baby that she would actually be excited about seeing. Not even her mother. It was interesting.

Ben kept shooting her looks in the rear view mirror. The same kind of looks that her mother gave men when she wanted something from them, though Ben wasn’t nearly as subtle as her mother could be. She turned her eyes away. No thank you, she had already picked the royal she was going after.

When they arrived at the castle (which even Mal had to admit was amazing), Evie jumped out and grabbed Mal’s hand, “Come on, the cabana boy can get our bags.”

She had no idea what a cabana boy was but she knew that it was referring to Ben. Time to steel herself for her first meeting with the Queen and first with the King since she had been released from the hospital.

Ladylike. Ladylike. Evie ran to her parents, jumping into her father’s arms for a hug and giving her mother a kiss. Mal couldn’t help but stare. She had never kissed her mother in her life. She couldn’t even imagine it.

Evie came back for her, easily leading her up as if this was perfectly normal and not a huge deal, “Mom, this is Mal. She’s my roommate and friend. Dad, I know the two of you have met already, but I think this is your first formal introduction now that Mal isn’t ill any longer.”

Mal could see why Evie was turning into a good diplomat. In a single breath she made it clear that she and Mal were friends, which meant no trashing the weird Island girl. Not only that, she acknowledged that Mal and her father had not gotten off to the best start and brushed it under the rug like nothing. She was giving Mal a fresh start and she had done it incredibly smoothly. Impressive.

Well, she wasn’t going to waste the golden opportunity she had been given. She smiled and curtsied, just like Evie had taught her was correct. Personally, Mal thought that it made her look like a seasick bird with an idiotic smile on her face, but she understood that it had to be done, “Your Highness. Lady Belle.”

If there were had lingering worries about who their sweet, innocent, daughter was associating with, they certainly hid them well. The queen smiled and held out a hand, “It’s always a pleasure to meet Evie’s friends. Evie, would you like to give Mal a tour before dinner?”

In other words, maybe keep the little feral girl away from our nice guests. Who knows what she might say or do? Not that she really minded. Being familiar with this place would help after the coronation, when she had the wand and needed to make the fastest possible exit, “That would be lovely.”

As soon as they were out of sight, Evie laughed, “I think that went OK. Come on, I’ll show you the place and we can get away from the boring pre-dinner conversation.” She took Mal’s hand again and started walking. Mal looked at their hands and wondered where the urge to yank her own hand free had gone. She had to get it together and not get attached to Evie, or anyone else here.

The castle was huge and Mal’s heart sank. She was already lost and they had only looked at a small portion of the place. She had a good sense of direction and an excellent memory, but she had to be realistic. Once she had that wand, it was going to be chaos. She not only had to know all the exits and exactly where she was going, but she was going to have to be able to find them when she was panicking. This was going to take far more then one night to sort out. She was going to have to weasel herself into more sleepovers at Evie’s place. For the plan of course. No other reason.

Evie probably knew that she wasn’t paying attention but hopefully the other girl just thought she was overwhelmed and intimidated by the opulence. Which she was, a little bit. What was in just one room could supply the Isle with food, electricity, and medication for a decade. She would bet that most of this stuff hadn’t been touched in months, if not years.

Things were nicer here in Auradon, that much was obvious. Nicer food and more, better clothing, technology that she had never seen before. People at least knew how to act nicer. They were kind to Mal and gave her things like dresses and jewelry. No one screamed at her or struck her, or made her spend all night long standing with her nose in the corner over a spelling mistake. They had certainly never set her up to be eye candy for a pedophile.

But they were no better then the people on the Island. Maybe they were worse because they were hypocrites. They liked to pretend that they were better then the people on the Island. That they were different. But they weren’t. The King was in charge of Auradon but he was in charge of the Island, too. But he wasn’t taking care of them. No one was.

It was easier to put them out of sight, out of mind. The villains were gone and they could go back to having tea parties and singing with the fucking wildlife. They certainly didn’t waste their time wondering if the people they abandoned were hungry or cold, or dying in the streets. Except they couldn’t do that either. Their suffering was forever. After all, justice was getting what you deserved, and the villains had been judged and punished.

Well, Mal could stand in judgement too. She could judge the people of Auradon for their indifference, for thinking that it was OK to feed other human beings trash, for putting people on an Island that they knew was completely incapable of supporting them. The evil, the old, the sick, even the dead had been raised for no other reason than vengeance. The people of Auradon were just as evil as the ones they had punished. The difference was, they were the winners of the battle and history was always written by the winners.

When she had the wand, she would switch their fortunes and let the sweet and good residents of Auradon feel the sting of abandonment and terror.

But what should she do with the children? Mal might be evil, but the thought of taking the kids from Auradon, or even the teenagers, and handing them over to the dangers of the Island didn’t sit well with her.

Besides, what greater revenge could she have than the citizens of Auradon losing their children, the same way the Island people had lost theirs. Knowing that they were being raised by the enemy and there was nothing that could be done about it was the most delicious thing she could think of.

Not that it would hurt the kids. As much as she hated to admit it, there were a lot of similarities between her and Carlos that set them apart from the kids here. They were both resourceful and strong. They didn’t cry to adults when things didn’t work out for them. In fact, they didn’t cry at all. They needed no one but themselves for survival. Sure, sometimes having other people around like Evie or Jay came with some advantages, but either one of them would be just fine on their own. Independence wouldn’t hurt most of the kids in this school.

At least that was what she told herself. Truthfully…sending a bunch of defenseless kids to the Island freaked her out. The thought of small kids falling victim to the Muffin Man or the teenagers being lured in by Captain Hook and his band of pirates because they didn’t know any better, seemed unnecessarily cruel. She guessed that made her weaker then both her mother and the King of Auradon but she didn’t think that when the moment came to send the children to the Island, she would be able to do it.

“Do you miss home?” Evie’s soft question brought Mal out of her roving thoughts.

Mal’s head snapped up. Sometimes she got frustrated with Evie. The other girl had lost the person she should have been when they snatched her from her mother’s arms. The two of them were born only two months apart and any daughter of Grimhilde would have been an acceptable playmate to Mal. They had taken what should have been a wild tiger and caged her. No, worse. They had tried to turn her into a house cat, pampered and defenseless.

But just as often and even more often lately, she saw a different side of the princess. She saw that the tiger still had teeth and claws, no matter how domesticated everyone around her thought she was. And more importantly, her soul remembered who she had been born to be. She was intuitive, smart and fearless. Somehow, she had read Mal’s face and deducted that she was thinking about the Island, “No.”

“You’re lying,” her voice was still gentle and non-accusatory, but it wasn’t weak either. “You’re thinking about it right now, I can tell. There have to be things that you miss about it and things that you liked better there then you do here. It’s still your home, even if you live here now. You don’t just quit being from there in a few weeks or months.”

Damn, that girl was smart. Mal was torn between snarling at her, the way she would have done to anyone else, and confiding in her. Evie read her face, “I was just curious. I want to know more about the Island and what it’s like. We don’t learn much about it in school. Just that it’s there and how it was created. Anyway, we should probably go back and get ready for dinner.”

It was a gracefully given out and Mal was grateful for it, “That sounds good. Let me think a little more about it and we can talk about the Island later.”

As they walked back, Evie reminded her of all the little things that fancy people did at their dinners, “Just don’t swear or be rude to any of the guests. You use your forks from the outside in and if you get confused just look at Ben or I. Usually the guests ignore me, so they’ll probably ignore you too. They used to ignore Ben but now that he’s going to be king they all want to be in his good graces.” She nudged Mal towards a closed door, “Now let me fix your make-up really quick.”

Belatedly, Mal realized that they were almost back where they had started. Shit, she really was lost here. Evie pulled some mascara out of her purse and quickly ran it over Mal’s lashes, “Remember-“

Mal cut her off, “I know. I’m going to be delightful, not curse and use my honey voice not my vinegar one. Relax Princess, I got this.”

“I know you do. I just really want this to go well,” Evie fixed her own make-up and nodded at their reflections. “Ok, let’s do this.”

*****

Despite her brave words, Evie couldn’t deny that she was nervous about this. When she had agreed to this dinner, she had though it would just be the family. But the delegate showed up early and they couldn’t very well serve him anything but a full meal.

Her mother hadn’t come right out and said it, but Evie knew that she suspected there was a reason why the man was here early and that that reason was the girl standing next to her. News traveled quickly and Carlos and Mal were huge news. Even though all of the countries surrounding Auradon had initially agreed with the creation of the Island and Evie had seen the signatures to prove it, she knew that they didn’t all agree with it now.

Which was easy for them to say. They didn’t have the responsibility of supporting the Island and none of them were offering to take the villains into their own kingdoms for rehabilitation.

At least not yet. But if Auradon was successful at rehabilitating Carlos and Mal and turned them into functioning members of society, then any arguments for the continued imprisonment of the rest of the villains was weakened. If they could fix people who had been born there and literally known no other life then why insist on keeping the others, who knew that there was a better way out there?

For the first time, Evie realized just what was at stake here and that it was so much bigger than just Carlos and Mal. She also understood her father’s initial reluctance to take them. Was saving two worth the danger that bringing over dozens could create?

And she was almost certain they could save Carlos and Mal. Maybe they wouldn’t ever be the same as kids raised in Auradon but she had seen nothing that would prevent them from leading healthy lives, with jobs and partners and children of their own. Children that they would raise better then they had been raised themselves, with the love and nurturing they had missed out on.

But that didn’t mean that they could save everyone or even most of them. She had seen what the people on the Island had done to Mal and heard all about the scars on Carlos. What would it do to them to see their tormentors in the place that should have been safe for them?

A part of her wanted to make Mal look worse than she really was, but she knew better then to say anything. If Mal thought that making a scene was a possibility she would probably do something that would have Auradon talking for years to come. Chances seemed good that she might make a scene anyway, whether she meant to or not.

“Don’t start eating until my father does. It’s good manners to not pick up your fork until the host does,” These were all things she had spent her entire life learning and she kept thinking of more and more little tips to make this go well.

Mal rolled her eyes again, “You need to cool it. I’ll watch what you do and not do anything horrifying.”

“I know. I just want this to go well,” The problem was, what the normal citizens of Auradon considered horrifying seemed to be just another day for Mal. Her perceptions of things were different then theirs.

But she was out of time to do anything about it. Ben appeared outside the door, smartly dressed in one of the outfits that made all of the girls swoon and he secretly hated. He extended an arm to each of them, “My ladies. Let me escort you to dinner.”

He was being extra charming and Evie couldn’t help but shoot him a dirty look. Mal was hers and she had no intention of getting into a pissing match with her own brother over a girl. As the eldest and heir, Ben’s future was already decided for him. He would marry a nice girl who would love him dearly but also be an advantageous political match. Evie herself would have more freedom, though she would still be expected to marry a man and hopefully one who could provide some political help. It wasn’t like it had been in the olden days, where her father would basically sell her to the highest bidder, but she knew that it wasn’t as simple for her as it would be for the average girl. Being a princess came with both up and down sides.

Ben pulled out their chairs for them and smiled at their guests, “Welcome everyone. I would like to present the Princess Evie, whom some of you have met before. I would also like to present Lady Mal, who is having her first visit to our court. We hope she will have a wonderful time while she's here.”

Evie was proud of the fact that Mal didn’t crack up when she was referred to as ‘Lady Mal’. The other girl’s eyes definitely sparkled though and Evie was sure that she was going to hear about this later.

“Greetings Lady Mal. It’s lovely to meet you. And Princess Evie, you’ve become quite the young woman.” The words were punctuated with a half smile that suggested that he was certainly noticing her womanly attributes. Gross. He did have an unmarried son, who was at least two decades older then Evie and the sort of man who all the women kept their young daughters away from. He was creepy.

Before this night was over, she knew that he was going to have a private talk with her father, suggesting an alliance between their two countries. With Evie thrown in to sweeten things of course. What better way to seal the deal?

The fact that her father would never let that happen had only the smallest effect on the churning in her gut. It was distressing to think that there were still men out there who considered her property to be bought and sold.

At her side, Mal growled softly. Apparently she had picked up on what the man was saying as well. Evie reached under the table and squeezed Mal’s hand. Quiet Mal, let me handle this.

The other girl didn’t like it, if her narrowed eyes were any indication, but she did sit back. Evie smiled across the table, “I’m getting there but it will still be two years before I’m done with my primary schooling. Then it’s on to a more formal college.” She gave a quick giggle, “It seems like I’ll be in classes forever”

There, that took care of it. She had made it clear that she was more interested in her schooling then pursuing a marriage match right now and she had done it without telling him that his son was a gross pervert.

Fortunately for all of them, her parents entered and they all rose. Evie had to remember last minute to drop Mal’s hand. She was surprised that the other girl hadn’t yanked her hand immediately away the way she usually did. Her father raised his glass to the assembled table, “Welcome to the new friends joining us tonight and we are delighted to see old friends again.

Despite her general dislike of rules, Mal seemed to understand how important this was and did her best to remember and do everything Evie had suggested. She stood with everyone else and waited to pick up her silverware until toasts had been made and the soup had been served. She sat up straight and didn’t slurp.

They made it through the soup and salad course without incident. As she had predicted, everyone was mostly interested in kissing Ben’s ass, which just embarrassed him. It made Evie roll her eyes. He was going to have to get over that and start using the attention to his advantage if he ever wanted to make it as a ruler.

It wasn’t until the main course had been served that the attention turned to Mal, “My apologies, Lady Mal, I must have missed where you were from. Auradon is a wonderful place to visit, I’m surprised you haven’t been here before.”

“Oh, I guess you could call me a homebody. Or a prisoner, whichever suits you best. I’m from….now what do they call it here? Oh, yes. The Island of the Lost. The one that all of you got together to create.”

Shit. It wasn’t that Evie hadn’t expected something like this, because she had. Mal was definitely trying, but you couldn’t undo years of damage in a few weeks. She had survived thus far by making a name for herself and drawing others in to do her bidding. Was it any surprise she would try the same maneuver here?

She had really just hoped that they would be through most of dinner before it happened. That way it would be easier to excuse both Mal and herself from the table, claiming homework that had to be completed. Now they were stuck.

Mouths dropped and gasps were drawn in. This wasn’t the sort of thing that tended to happen at nice, cultured, Auradon dinners. Evie had a feeling this dinner was going to be the talk of every place these people went for quite some time.

“Really,” Sir Francis was now staring at Mal like she was the most interesting thing he had ever seen. “I had heard that there had been some children just brought over. You and your….brother?”

Now Mal was the one with her jaw dropped, “Oh, Carlos isn’t my brother. He’s Cruella’s kid and he’s even crazier than she is. If Carlos was my brother, I would blow my brains out.”

Under the table, Evie kicked Mal in the ankle as hard as she could. This was not catching her flies with honey. It wasn’t even catching them with vinegar. It was more like going after them with a flame thrower.

Mal immediately took the hint, “I mean, no, Carlos and I aren’t related. To be honest, I don’t think he and I have ever had an actual conversation. And that’s not only because he doesn’t talk.” She smiled and Evie wondered if she was the only one who saw the predator lurking in that twist of her lips, “It’s a very different environment there.”

“How are you enjoying Auradon, my dear? I hope that things have been to your liking so far,” Sir Francis’ wife, whose name Evie had unfortunately forgotten, was trying to get things back on track.

“Oh, yes,” Mal picked up her knife and started cutting her meat. “I’ve seen so many beautiful things here.”

Evie wondered if anyone else saw the way Mal’s eyes darted over to her for the tiniest second when she said that. She could feel her face flushing and had to take a quick drink of water. What could she say to fix this?

“I’m having a wonderful time rooming with Evie and I’m going to be starting classes on Monday. I think I’m really going to enjoy it here,” Mal smiled at them again. “But tell me more about where you’re from.”

Oh sure, now she remembered what Evie had coached her on. Asking someone to tell you about themselves was a surefire way to not only get the attention off of yourself, but make them think you were a stunning conversationalist. She had all but begged Mal to say as little as possible to make this easy for everyone.

“No one wants to hear another boring old story from an old man. I would be much more interested in what such a lovely young lady has to say. This is the first time we’ve had a guest from the Island, is it not, your Majesty?”

A tiny muscle near her father’s jaw flicked and Evie suspected that this would not only be the last time that Mal was invited to a nice dinner, but that she wouldn’t be seeing one for a while either. “No, you are quite correct. Lady Mal will be our first guest from the Isle. I’m pleased to hear that she is finding living here in Auradon pleasant.”

It was a dismissal, stated as politely as possible, but no one was going to give this opportunity up. A real live Island girl, right here at their dinner table! It was like going to the circus or zoo without ever having to leave the castle.

Evie bristled at the thought of smart, snarky, tough, stubborn Mal being reduced to nothing more then an animal on display. This wasn’t the Island. They were civilized, they were kind. They were more.

But if Evie was troubled by it, Mal seemed to revel in the attention. This was what she had wanted and what she understood, “What would you like to know?”

“Why don’t we start at the beginning. How did you manage to avoid being taken with the rest of the children?”

Mal smiled at him, “That would be something to ask my mother. I was only a baby at the time and it wasn’t something we talked about.”

“I see. Was it difficult growing up there?”

“Of course it was,” Mal steepled her fingers and rested her chin on them. What would have looked evil on her mother just emphasized how young she was, “No medical care, not much food, always having to watch your back. You let a bunch of murderers and thieves loose to fight and live and eat garbage. Then you let them have a bunch of kids that they could teach to do the same things. What did you expect was going to happen?”

Why wasn’t her father stopping this? This was his court, his dinner table and she had seen him easily and diplomatically fix things that were getting out of hand before. But this time he did nothing. He just sat back and watched the show.

“You were abandoned there.” He was attempting to sway Mal onto his side, “Auradon abandoned not only those who were guilty but those who were born there, innocent.”

Evie wanted to scream at Mal that she was being set up by this man but she couldn’t. It was like watching someone drown and not being able to help them.

But again, she had underestimated Mal, “Maybe so. But I didn’t notice any other countries stepping up to help us, innocent and guilty alike. At least Auradon did something for us, pitiful as it was.”

The man startled for a second, “The Isle of the Lost technically belongs to the United States of Auradon. If they were unable or unwilling to care for their citizens, either the residents of the Island or the governing body of Auradon, should have appealed to us for help.”

Mal beamed at him, “Oh, how wonderful! The next time I write home, I’ll be sure to let Maleficent, that’s my mother by the way, know that other people are interested in our welfare and have offered us asylum. Where did you say you were from again?”

His condescending face turned to horror so fast that Evie had to stifle her giggle in her drink. It was really easy to sit in judgment of what Auradon had done with the Island, right until you were being asked to do something yourself.

Finally, her father (whom she noticed was trying to cover up his own smirk) stepped in, “Let’s remember not to harass our new guest. Why don’t we find a different topic of conversation for right now?”

“My apologies Lady Mal. Your Highness, will Carlos be joining us tonight as well?”

The thought of Carlos being here made Evie cringe a bit. Both he and Mal would give these people the show of a lifetime, especially considering that there were multiple potential weapons within reach. Or he would disappear under the table and refuse to come out. If everyone wanted to see what life on the Island did to different personality types, they were a pretty good representation.

“He will not. Mal is here primarily as my daughter's guest. They are rooming together this year and are having a sleepover tonight. I hope that Carlos will join us eventually but he’s staying home for tonight.”

His words smoothly moved the topic of conversation from Mal to the fact that Evie was no longer living at home. These were the sort of questions that she was ready for and things got back on track. Wisely, Mal focused on eating her dinner and barely spoke for the rest of the evening.

As soon as possible, her father released her and Mal from the table with a reminder that they had homework waiting. They both curtsied to the assembled table and left the room. Once they were out Evie sighed and gave Mal a look, “You just had to do that, didn’t you?”

The other girl was unperturbed, “Of course. Otherwise we would have spent all of dinner with them making little digs and snide remarks to me. Better to get it all out in the open right away and make sure they know that I’m onto their little games. Now that they think they might have to actually do something about the people on the Island, no one will dare to speak poorly to me. They’ll all be afraid that they’ll be stuck with my mother as one of their citizens.”

“That’s…” Evie had to stop because she wasn’t quite sure what to say. Mal was right, “Actually, that’s pretty smart.”

Mal slung an arm around her shoulders, pulling her close and off balance, “Hang around with me Princess, I can teach you a lot.” She gave Evie a quick kiss on the cheek before pulling away giggling, “Now come on, let’s go back to your room and get the taste of crusty hypocritical old man out of our mouths.”

Apparently making a scene and terrorizing people made Mal happy and affectionate. Evie supposed that the ladylike thing to do would be to gently correct Mal and remind her that causing a scene at the dinner table, particularly the one in high court, was not a good thing to do.

But she wasn’t going to. It was nice to see Mal go out of bounds to defend herself and to use methods that, as a diplomat and a Princess, she was forbidden to, “OK.”

Just like she had with Carlos, she had to get Mal into exactly the right place before she asked her question. So she offered Mal the first shower and set things up so they could watch a movie and have some fun before it was time for bed.

Then she waited, folding her hands and telling herself not to pick at her nail polish. She would have to think this through. Plan A, Plan B, Plan C. In none of those plans did she cry or stutter.

Finally Mal emerged in a puff of steam and wrapped in a towel, “Ready! I managed to scrape all of that gunk off of my face.” She sat and shook her wet hair, “I…um…I didn’t remember to pack any pajamas.”

“Top drawer in the dresser on the right. You can pick anything that fits. While you’re at it, look for a movie you might want to watch,” Evie stepped into her own shower, being as quick as possible. It wasn’t that she didn’t trust Mal unsupervised, it was just…OK, she didn’t trust Mal unsupervised. Who knew what she would get up to?

Fortunately, she came out to find her room intact and Mal wearing a pair of green pajamas that were just a tad too big on you, “You look very pretty.”

It was true. Mal was a lovely girl when she was made up but there was a wildness about her right now, with her clothes a little loose and her hair still wet that was undeniably more sexy, “Did you find something?”

Naturally, Mal held up 3 horror movies. If she thought Evie would flutter and reach for her fainting couch, she was wrong, “Looks good to me. But let’s talk first.”

With Carlos, she had coaxed and coddled. With Mal she took a very straightforward approach, “I want you to tell me more about being on the Island. I know you don’t know much about my mother but maybe some other stuff?”

Immediately, Mal gave her a sideways stare, “Oh, you want a different type of horror movie.”

“Yes. I want to know about it. Tell me about a typical day for you,” she had to be clear and concise.

Mal threw herself backwards on the bed, “Typical day. Let’s see…well, first there’s waking up and seeing what sort of trouble there is before the sun's up. If it’s a Tuesday or a Friday I have to get down to the docks to be ready when the barges get there. If you don’t get there right when they arrive you get nothing. No food, no spare parts that you can trade for food, nothing. And you do not come back to Maleficent with nothing. If it’s not a barge day, then it’s usually not a breakfast day either. My mother gets up later and she schools me until noon or so. Then I’m free for the rest of the day. She doesn’t really care what I do as long as it’s nasty and I have something to bring back to her.”

She couldn’t possibly mean what Evie thought she did, “Wait, the food on the barges isn’t passed out? It’s just a free for all?”

“Of course it is. Those people driving the barges aren’t about to get off. They value their lives.”

How old was Mal when she started fighting adults for food? How old was Carlos? Was there ever a point where the two of them didn’t have to struggle for basic necessities?

“I just thought that…” She stopped because she wasn’t sure what she had thought.

“That your father cared more about what happened to us? That anyone did? Because that’s a fucking lie. Sending garbage and stealing babies isn’t exactly taking good care of your citizens,” there was no really venom in her words, not this time. She had repeated the same thing over and over until it lost its meaning.

But that repetition didn’t make it untrue, “No, it isn’t. Did you have any friends there?”

“No. Carlos was the only one my age and no one really knew that he existed until last year. I did, of course, because he was such a little shit to me but most people didn’t.”

“What do you mean no one knew he existed?”

Mal shrugged, “Well, his mother did. Maybe. She’s batshit crazy, so she really might not know that she has a kid. Your mother probably did too, because I can’t see Cruella being able to do it on her own with a baby. But that was it. You have to remember, no one knew why the children were taken or if the kidnappers would come back. Hiding the two children who were left behind was a simple matter of survival.”

“But people knew you existed,” the more Mal talked, the more confused Evie became.

“Not until I was older. I was 7 before I was allowed to leave the house and 10 before I could leave the property. There were enough new kids born by then that I wouldn’t stick out. Island kids are all kind of small anyway, so I didn’t look that much bigger. There are always ways for people on the Island to communicate with Auradon proper and people would have no problem ratting out my mother and having me taken as well.”

Evie had noticed that both Mal and Carlos were small for their ages, especially Carlos. Some girls were just short and Mal was very petite as well, but Carlos had a lot of muscle for his age and looked like he should have been several inches taller.

“So when did Carlos show up?”

“I guess he was always kind of there but nobody noticed him. He was just another dirty little kid and the Island is full of them. I only noticed him when we were fighting and I definitely didn’t think about him at any other time.”

That was an obvious lie but Evie let it slide. Mal was getting more into the story and this was exactly what she had wanted, “Anyway, people just started talking about this smart kid who could build shit. All kinds of shit. He might be as crazy as his mother but he’s just as smart as her too. That was when my mother told me to make friends with him, so he would do stuff for us.”

“He wasn’t interested?”

“I wasn’t interested. Why would I bring the competition home, no matter what he could do?”

“Do…do you think that you and I would have been friends?” She tried to make it sound like she wouldn’t have cared but failed miserably.

“Of course,” Mal gave her a natural smile, the one that she rarely showed. “What’s not to like?”

Now Evie was 100% sure she was being flirted with. She just wasn’t 100% sure if it was genuine interest or just Mal trying to manipulate the situation in the same way it had always worked for her before, “I just didn’t know if your mother would have approved.”

Mal rolled her eyes, “Of course she wouldn’t have approved. She didn’t approve of me doing anything except kissing her ass and terrorizing the neighborhood. But that would have only made me like you more.”

“Was there anything good about it?” Because there didn’t seem to be much. Being hungry, fighting for food, dealing with an overly critical mother, worrying that every new person was the one who would sell you out. Forget extras, these two hadn’t had even the most basic necessities.

Mal was surprised, “Of course. When I was on the Island, I was free. We both were. No one was going to teach my anything so I taught myself. Do you think that anyone here, including you, could make it without help? Say someone took you to the middle of nowhere, or even the middle of town, and left you there. No money to get food, no calling home crying to mommy and daddy. Do you think you could survive?”

“No,” even the thought made her stomach clench.

“I could. I could find shelter and feed myself and I wouldn’t need help to do it. Carlos is probably better at it then I am, since he’s been doing it longer.”

Evie didn’t know what to say. Of course she couldn’t do any of those things. But what Mal didn’t understand was that it wasn’t needed. Evie didn’t need to survive on her own because she had people who would step in and help her. Teachers, coaches, her parents. None of them would let her be abandoned and risk hunger and sleeping outside.

And Mal didn’t need to do it herself either. Neither did Carlos. The problem was convincing them of that.

“This place is like a cage,” Mal spoke softly, as if she didn’t really intend to speak at all. “It’s a pretty cage, but it’s still a cage. You go to class when they tell you to, you go to bed when they make you. You eat what they make, not what you can get for yourself. Once curfew happens, you’re locked in your room. At least at home I could get out if I wanted to.”

Everything Mal was complaining about were rules put in place for her benefit or safety. But Evie could see how, to someone who had apparently never had limits put on her and was used to listening to one person only, they were miserably suffocating. But Mal had also proven that she had a problem with following the rules, so easing up on her wasn’t an option. But she wasn’t going to say that, “I know that it’s a huge adjustment.”

Mal shrugged and any softness left her face. “Yeah well, it is what it is. This is where I live for right now and I’ll just have to get used to it. Now what movie do you want to watch?”

“Your choice,” the conversation was over and she wasn’t going to keep pushing. Mal would tell her more in her own time frame, or not at all, but she deserved the chance to stop when she wanted to.

They were almost a half hour into the movie when Mal spoke again. The darkness most of her face, with just the smallest places visible as the scenes changed. “I’m sorry I couldn’t tell you more about your mother. If I could make Carlos do it, I would.”

It was one of the few times that Evie felt like Mal was being 100% honest with her. Not only that, but she was thinking of someone besides herself. She understood how badly Evie wanted to know about her other mother, and felt upset that she couldn’t give Evie that. “Thanks. It’s OK. You already told me a lot that I didn’t already know.”

Very slowly, Mal reached over and slipped her hand into Evie’s. She didn’t look at her or speak to her, but that tiny touch really said it all.

****  
“So you made it through a whole night without Lover Boy. I’m so proud of you,” Aziz snatched a piece of bacon right off of Jay’s plate. “You know he was just fine.”

Even though he had just been insulted, Jay couldn’t help but laugh a little. The thought of Carlos being his lover boy was hysterical, “I know that he’s fine. He made it through 16 years without me and he’ll make it one more night.”

Except he wasn’t so sure. The dejected way Carlos had looked when he was leaving was heartbreaking. What if he wasn’t able to make his needs clear to Roger and Anita? Would they know not to push him too much if he was scared or force him to come out of he wasn’t ready?

“You know, most people’s first comment would have been ‘he’s not my lover boy’. Just sayin’,” Another piece of bacon gone, then a piece of toast.

Jay jabbed at him with a fork, narrowly missing his brother’s hand, “Everyone knows he’s not my lover boy, stupid. Mom, make Aziz quit being a jerk!”

“Aziz, leave your brother alone. And Jay, a fork is not a weapon so don’t use it as such,” Jasmine tried to steer the conversation back to neutral ground. “Do you need some extra money to go downtown today?”

“Hey, you never gave me extra money!” As always, Aziz was on the lookout for any unfairness, “How come Jay gets more?”

“Because you were expected to take care of yourself only. I’m expecting Jay to look out for Carlos as well.”

“Well, if you’re supposed to be looking out for Carlos, then I have a suggestion. You said he has a ton of energy that he’s not getting out, right? They opened a trampoline park off of Winding Road. That will wear him out.”

Aziz was the only one who Jay had told about his and Carlos’ midnight jaunts around campus. It had actually been Aziz who suggested that, beyond allowing him to explore his environment, Carlos was simply trying to get rid of his pent up energy. For someone who was used to going miles every single day, pacing a 25x25 foot room didn’t offer much. As much as Aziz could be a total asshole (and Goodness, he could be a total asshole), he had a lot of good ideas and did try to make things easier, “That’s a good idea.”

In the end, both of his parents slipped him extra money while he made phone calls trying to coordinate things. Evie was sleeping in but Mal answered her phone and agreed to meeting up in two hours. Anita confirmed that Carlos was awake and having breakfast, so he was ready to go home any time. She didn’t sound like she had been crying all night, which was always a good sign. He adored Carlos and found him quite easy to work with, but he could definitely see why he frustrated other people. You just had to be on his wavelength and things would go fine.

His father was the one to take him to pick up Carlos and go back to school, Jay much preferred the flying carpet, but it would be too tight of a squeeze with three and he didn’t think Carlos would like it. Or maybe he would like it too much. He was starting to suspect that his new roommate had a huge daredevil streak waiting to come out. He didn’t want to spend an entire ride holding him on.

Aladdin hadn’t said much in front of the rest of the family but once they were in the car, he turned to Jay, “How is rooming with Carlos? Really, not just what you tell other people?”

Why did everyone want to think that Carlos was so difficult to like and live with? He was neither. Was it just because he didn’t talk? Because that wasn’t as big of a deal as people thought it was, “It’s good, I swear. He’s really easy to live with and he’s actually helping me with my science stuff. I may even get an A this year.”

His father nodded, “And he hasn’t been aggressive with you at all?”

“No. Dad come on, he’s way smaller then me,” the thought of timid little Carlos getting aggressive with him was actually pretty funny.

“His size doesn’t matter, especially if he’s as intelligent as you claim he is. A weapon evens things up quickly. Or jumping you in your sleep. I’m not saying that he’s violent but I am saying to be careful. You’re talking about someone who grew up on the streets, abandoned and likely abused. Sometimes people go on to inflict that abuse on other people.”

Jay felt compelled to defend Carlos, “You didn’t. And he doesn’t either. Someone’s mistreated him but he hasn’t done that to me. Next time he can come with me and you’ll see that he’s a good guy.” He had to keep his temper under control.

“OK, OK. I understand. And I don’t want you to think that I’m accusing him of anything. I’ve just seen a lot of bad things and I want you to be safe.”

“I am,” It was hard to stay angry when he knew where his father was coming from. He had been raised in circumstances that weren’t that different from how Carlos and Mal had been raised. Scrounging for food, being cold, having no one to watch out for him.

As they pulled up to Roger and Anita’s farmhouse, the door opened up and Carlos peeked out. When he saw it was Jay, his entire face lit up in one of those smiles that no one but Jay ever seemed to see. He didn’t leave the house but he stood there in the doorway, waiting. Jay opened the car door, “We’ll be right back, OK?”

Once he saw Jay coming, Carlos backed into the house, bouncing into the kitchen to find Anita. Jay was shocked at the way he went immediately to the woman’s side. He didn’t actually touch her but he made sure to stay close. Then he did something even more surprising: he reached out and tapped her arm with one finger, getting her attention, then traced a hook shape in the air with his pinkie. She looked over and smiled, “Good morning, Jay. Carlos, are you ready?”

There was a bag on the counter that Anita handed over, “He and I went through the garden this morning and got everything. It’s too much for Roger and I to eat ourselves.”

There was plenty of fresh fruit and veggies there, enough to feed both of them for a few days, “Thank you.”

“No problem,” she made a move like she wanted to say more, but they were interrupted by Carlos reappearing, his bag over his shoulder. “Are you ready, Sweetheart?”

He nodded, “I hope you had a good time and that you’ll want to come back and see us again. You can call or send us an email any time.” She reached out and ran the backs of her fingers down Carlos’ back. He didn’t move closer to her but he didn’t flinch away either, the way he would have with anyone else, “You have a good time downtown.”

Carlos cocked his head at her and smiled a little. Not the same way he had smiled at Jay, but more then anyone else got. Then he waved and turned out the door.

It seemed like a wise idea to follow his lead, so Jay waved as well, “I’ll see you later.”

Once they were settled in the back seat, his father looked in the rear view mirror, “Hi, Carlos. I’m Aladdin, Jay’s father. It’s lovely to meet you.”

Carlos just watched him. He didn’t smile, didn’t wave, didn’t have any real response. It was how he treated most people. So what made Anita different?

Jay tried to get his attention back, “What did you guys do after I left?”

Carlos reached into his bag and pulled out a book, laying it in Jay’s lap, “Sign language? Did Anita get this for you?” Even if they only mastered 10 or 15 signs, it would be incredibly helpful to know that Carlos had a stomach ache or he needed to use the bathroom.

He also realized that that was what Carlos had been telling Anita with the hook gesture. He was signing the letter ‘J’ to tell her that it was Jay that had arrived. Clever.

“Cool. Do you still want to meet up with Evie and Mal and go downtown today?”

A nod told him that that was an acceptable option. Really, he didn’t look any worse for wear. No dark circles, no jittery movements, no hiding his face behind his arms like he usually did when he was stressed.

“Can I see what Anita sent?” Jay tapped the bag and was surprised when Carlos nodded. However slowly, he was learning to share, “We’ll be able to have some good snacks tonight.”

His father made no further attempt to engage Carlos, which was usually the best way to handle him. Sure enough, when the got out of the car, Carlos looked up and waved to him once, which was a combination of saying thank you and goodbye.

People still stared at them when they walked across the quad but no one bothered to approach. Carlos was still news, but until he did something interesting, he wasn’t as big of a deal as he had been. He seemed to sense this and had been laying low and letting Mal bear the brunt of their attention.

As much as he liked going home, Jay had to admit that it was pretty cool to come back to his dorm room and know that it was his and he was the ruler of it. Well, him and Carlos, “Good to be home, huh?”

Carlos wasn’t paying any attention to him. He was checking out his desk, counting the number of pens and notebooks. Like anyone would want to steal his stupid school stuff. Then he turned and looked at his bed for a long time. Long enough that it got sort of weird, “Your blanket is in your bag, if that’s what you’re looking for.”

It wasn’t. Carlos came back to his side and pointed, first at his mattress and then to the bed. Then twice more. Jay couldn’t believe it, “You want me to move the mattress out from under the bed and put it up top like mine?”

One corner of Carlos’ mouth lifted and he nodded, “Alright.” He slid the mattress out and lifted it up. “Liked sleeping up top better at Roger and Anita’s?”

The quirky smile turned into a full grin. Yes, he had been very happy over there, “Good. Do you need to take a shower or do anything before we leave?” When Carlos shook his head, he continued, “So, my brother Aziz said that they opened a trampoline park downtown if you were interested. We could get a little exercise.” Then he realized that Carlos probably had no idea what he was talking about, “Here, let me show you a video.”

Carlos pressed close, even going as far as to lay his hand on Jay’s arm to steady the phone. Jay’s heart jumped a little, just like it did every time Carlos actually decided to touch him. Maybe one day he would be able to get a hug, instead of having Carlos barely tolerate one from him.

As soon as he got a good idea of what a trampoline was, Carlos gave an enthusiastic nod, “Good. The girls can join us if they want or they can go do something else. You and Mal are going to get along, right?”

Carlos rolled his eyes and the answer was as clear as if he had spoken. Yes Jay, we will get along. We’ve discussed this once before, remember? I agreed then and my answer hasn’t changed. OK?”

“Cool, then. You wanna go over some of what’s in that book?” If Carlos was willing to make gestures, Jay was damn well going to learn how to read them. Maybe he would talk, maybe not. Maybe he just plain couldn’t.

Carlos nodded, his smile faltering and turning a bit nervous. He never expected people to be nice to him. More then that though, he didn’t really like it when they were. It made him nervous, like they were going to demand something of him in return that he couldn’t possibly give.

He shot off a quick text to the girls, letting them know that he and Carlos were planning on hitting the trampoline place and to wear appropriate clothing if they wanted join in, “Alright, let’s do this. Show me what you know already.”

Slowly at first, then quicker as he gained confidence, Carlos showed him the alphabet. Jay was paying attention of course, but he couldn’t help but be transfixed by Carlos’ hands. They were big for his body of course, like Jay’s own, but that's where the similarities ended. Carlos had smaller hands, but longer fingers, and he had a strength and dexterity that Jay lacked, why was he suddenly unable to tear his eyes off of the other boy?

“Here, let me try,” it came out a little gruffer then he intended it and Carlos drew back. Jay covered it with a quick smile, “OK, let’s see.” Slowly, he made the gestures that formed his own name. Carlos leaned in close, his breath fanning out over Jay’s skin and making goose bumps rise up in it’s wake. Just a few seconds ago, he had been thrilled to see Carlos so brave and wanting to be close. What had changed? It was freaky and Jay pushed back, “How about this one?” He raised both middle fingers and flipped Carlos off.

His ploy worked and Carlos sat back, laughing silently. Both he and Mal found it utterly hysterical when Jay or Evie swore, raised their middle fingers, or did anything that could be construed as wrong or naughty. Did they really think that the teenagers in Auradon did nothing but sit around knitting and singing to the animals? They were just teenagers, like anyone else, “Do you get this one?”

Of course he did and he returned the gesture happily. The strange feeling that had taken over Jay’s chest relaxed until it was just him and Carlos again just like they had been before.

They kept on until he was sure that he could understand the basics. Was Carlos tired? In pain? Hungry? If he could get those, it was less critical to get the rest of the details.

Finally, a knock sounded at the door and Mal was calling out, “Come on, let’s go!”

Carlos was already at the door, scowling as if she could actually see him. But as soon as he opened the door, his face dropped into his usual neutral expression. Jay supposed it was an improvement.

The girls strode in, chatting happily. Evie gave Carlos a quick kiss on the cheek, moving away as quickly as she touched him. He snapped his head to the side to avoid her but he didn’t actual step aside the way he used to, “So, I was thinking lunch first, then some of the shopping we need to get out of the way and then we can hit the trampoline place. Shopping shouldn’t take too long. That way everyone has time to adjust and no one pukes on the floor. Is that good for everyone?”

Jay was instantly suspicious. When Evie used the terms like ‘shopping we need’ and ‘shouldn’t take too long’, it usually meant ‘This looks exactly like 20 other things that I already own, but it isn’t because haven’t I already taught you the difference between ecru and eggshell and moonlight?’ and ‘get yourself something to drink, because we’re going to be here for a while.’ “What do we need?”

“I have to pick up some supplies for Carlos and I so he’s ready for design class. Mal and I need some more storage for our room. Carlos, is there anything else you might want?”

He shrugged, even though they all knew he was paying attention, “Just let us know if you see something. Don’t worry about what it costs, since the two of you are still getting set up.”

Mal shrugged her shoulders, “Princess has too much crap. Anyway, how do we get there?”

“Fairy Godmother is going to drop us off. We’ll call her when we’re done and she’ll come back and pick us up.”

Usually a parent did that but it had been quietly decided that it would be better if Fairy Godmother did it, at least this time. No point in making it clear that only two of them had parents. Not that they didn’t know it, but it seemed a little cruel to just rub it in Carlos and Mal’s faces like that.

Once the call went out, Fairy Godmother appeared so quickly that Jay suspected that magic had been involved. Without actually saying anything, he and Evie made sure that they were on the inside, keeping themselves in between Carlos and Mal at all times.

He and Evie had picked a basic diner to eat in. Not fancy, familiar foods, nothing that might cause a problem. They needed to make this an easy day for all of them. Carlos looked out the windows, seemingly lost in his own world. Jay reached out and poked him gently in the knee, “You ready for some lunch?”

The corners of Carlos’ mouth quirked up and he nodded. Despite all of the new things happening around him, he appeared relaxed. Hopefully this would be a good day after all.

*****

 

Left. Another left. Now a right. To a casual observer, Carlos might have appeared sleeping, lost in thought, or completely out of it, but that wasn’t true. His brain was alive, constantly running in overdrive as he kept focus on both the other occupants of the car and tracked their movements into the city. If he could keep his focus he would know two ways to get there from the school. Later, once he was back in the room he shared with Jay, he could figure out which was faster and which would be easier when he was on foot and trying not to be seen.

He would have thought that Mal would do the same thing but she was busy flirting with Evie in a way that made him want to either roll his eyes or gag. He hoped Evie was smart enough not to fall for that bullshit, but who knew? Maybe girls got stupid when they got turned on too.

Fairy Godmother was yapping away up front but he ignored her. Carlos had learned many things from his mother, none of them good. What she had inadvertently taught him though, was how to hate someone. Purely, cleanly, and without remorse. And Carlos hated Fairy Godmother. She acted like he was stupid in Remedial Goodness, talking all slowly and using little words. Even though he got all the right answers on his quizzes, she kept trying to make him talk. If he had wanted to, he would have done it on the first day. Everyone else had taken the hint, why couldn’t she?

And she didn’t like him either. Mal was her favorite and the one that she spent all of her time with. Not that he cared much about that. The two of them deserved each other. But she wouldn’t let Anita take Carlos either, even though she had asked the day after he got here. Nope, she had to wait, which meant Carlos had to stay in that hospital with the red lights in the ceiling that watched him all the time. That was not something he was going to forget any time soon.

She was still talking when they got to the restaurant. Both Jay and Evie liked to drill him on good manners, so he knew that the right thing to do would be to sit politely until she was done then thank her for the ride. He even knew the right sign for it though she probably wouldn’t understand him. But he couldn’t take being trapped in that tiny space with her and Mal and everyone breathing and wanting to touch him any longer. So he opened the door and jumped out the second he could. The car wasn’t completely stopped but it was close enough that he didn’t even stumble as he hit the sidewalk. Fairy Godmother squawked behind him but he didn’t care. The car finally stopped and everyone else piled out, dutifully reciting their ‘thank you’s and joining him on the sidewalk. Evie opened her mouth like she was going to say something but Mal beat her to it, “Thank Diablo someone did something. I was going to jump out myself if I had to hear one more ‘behave yourselves, ladies and gentleman, blah, blah, blah.”

Why was she being nice to him? He knew Mal and she was just like him. She did nothing without an ulterior motive and that motive led back to benefiting her. This had been a perfect opportunity to make him look ungrateful to Fairy Godmother and she hadn’t taken it. Why? He narrowed his eyes at her but she just looked away.

Jay put an arm around his shoulders and Carlos decided to let him. He didn’t like it but he would put up with it for now, “Don’t jump out of moving cars, OK? It freaked me out.”

Again, he didn’t understand. He had been in zero danger hopping out of a slowly moving car onto a solid surface. And even if he had been, so what? It wasn’t like he was dragging Jay along with him. But he nodded anyway. No sense in pissing Jay off before the food got there.

Carlos had never been to a restaurant before but he knew what to do. He had been sure to research it as soon as Jay had said that was where they were going. He would look at the menu and let Jay know what he wanted. Then Jay would tell the waitress and she would cook it for them. It just amazed him that all he had to do was sit there at the table and they would bring the food he wanted right to him. He didn’t have to fish it out of the trash, he didn’t have to sneak it out of his dresser drawer after Jay fell asleep or was in class, he didn’t have to do anything except ask for it. How could Jay not see how amazing this was?

He knew a lot of what was on the menu and luckily there were pictures of a lot of the stuff he didn’t know. Oooh, he could get French Fries with chili and cheese on them. He let his finger hover over the picture, cutting his eyes over to the boy next to him. Jay looked over and nodded, “Definitely the chili cheese fries. Make sure you look and see what you want on your burger.

Evie pushed a small pad of paper across the table, “Just write down what you want and don’t forget a drink.”

See, he liked this. There were simple rules and no exceptions. If he wanted a hamburger, he could pick from seven toppings. He could get all of them or none of them, but there were no other options. Carefully, he wrote down exactly what he wanted and passed the notebook back.

“You have such pretty handwriting,” Evie looked it over curiously. “Nicer then mine and much nicer then Ben’s. Plus the chili cheese fries. What do you think Mal, should we get two orders to share?”

“Sure,” she was still watching Carlos but pretending she wasn’t. Good luck with that one bitch. The only reason Carlos had made it as far as he had was that he was constantly aware of danger and Mal was the biggest danger there was. Not that he wasn’t also keeping his eye on every other person in the place, but Mal was his main focus. He wished she would either just tell him what she wanted or go back to leaving him alone.

She wasn’t only being nice to him though. When he refused to make eye contact with her, she turned to Jay, “So your brother is the one who told you about the trampoline place? How many brothers and sisters do you have?”

“Just one older brother, Aziz. He’s left for college this year,” Jay sounded really sad, which interested Carlos. He couldn’t imagine Cruella having another kid. It was bad enough that she had made him, but another kid? He would end up taking care of it and that would be a fucking disaster. He would have no idea what to do with it and then it would end up as fucked up as him. Probably even worse, since he would have to waste all of his time keeping it alive and wouldn't be able to work or even avoid Cruella. Maybe he could just give it to Darling to raise. She might not be any better at it then Cruella, but she sure as fuck wasn’t going to be any worse.

The waitress came and took their orders. She stared at Carlos and Mal, just like everyone else did. Mal smiled at her and the hair on the back of his neck rose. Mal smiling was just like Maleficent smiling. In a word, it was terrifying. He kept his eyes down and made himself small.

She was back very quickly with drinks putting them down, “I’ll have the fries out soon. Can I get you anything else?”

Again, amazing. Not only did they get what they ordered, but you could actually get more if you wanted it. Why was nobody acknowledging this?

“Carlos, are you ready for class? You start with me next Friday and I’m pretty sure Jay is taking you for you dance tryouts Monday, right?”

He nodded. He wasn’t sure which one made him more nervous. He knew that he was good at both. Fashion would be in a closed classroom with a bunch of strange girls (and one boy), all of whom would be super interested in him and not wanting to leave him alone. But at least he would have Evie to hide behind if he needed to. When he went for dance, he would have no one. Just him and the person evaluating him.

It wasn’t that he didn’t think he could do it, because he could. He was fast, strong and flexible. He understood music in a way that he didn’t understand other things. Music was, at its most basic form, just math. Notes and pitches and rhythms were nothing but a different type of equation.

But it was also more then that. It was exciting, making his heart pound in his chest. On the Island he could only fuss with the old radio when Cruella wasn’t around. She hated music of all types. But Jay had a big radio that got dozens of channels, instead of just a few static-y ones. The best part though, was that if he put his fingers against the speakers, he could actually feel the music coming out. The vibrations made him shiver. He didn’t turn it on when Jay was around, just for politeness’ sake, but he did it a lot while Jay was in class.

There was no way for him to tell her any of that though, so he just shrugged, “You’ll do a good job.”

Of course he would. Failure was not an option. Failure meant pain and not being in pain was something he tried to avoid. That was just simple. The people in Auradon wanted to make it more complicated, but it really wasn’t.

Luckily, the waitress showed up with the fries. She also had four big glasses with fancy straws hanging out of them. Jay gave him a poke, “Do you know what that is?”

No. The glasses were clear and he could see that each glass was a different color inside. One was white, one was brown, one was pink and one was white with little black speckles in it. But he could figure it out. He just had to use his brain.

OK, what did he see? It wasn’t sloshing like the soda had been but he could see some movement. So it wasn’t a liquid but it wasn’t a solid either. Was it a solid that had been heated up to melt it or a liquid that had been partially frozen? No steam, and he could see some condensation forming on the outside of the glass. So it was something cold that was melting.

But once he got there, he was stuck. Jay poked again, “I’ll give you a hint: you’ve had one before, but this one doesn’t have peanut butter cups in it. Got it now?”

He definitely got it now and it took everything he had not to lunge across the table and grab the nearest glass. Milkshake, milkshake! Jay read his face and laughed. He pointed at each shake in turn, “Chocolate, Vanilla, Strawberry, and that one's Cookies and Cream. Which one do you want?”

Carlos started to reach out but stopped. If he did what he was thinking, he might lose his milkshake. But it was what Fairy Godmother and Anita kept telling him that he was supposed to do. It would look good if he did it and they would both be happy. If Fairy Godmother he was happy, maybe she would leave him the fuck alone in class. If Anita was happy…well, he wasn’t really sure what it got him. But it suddenly seemed very important that she be happy with him.

So, instead of grabbing the closest shake, he sat back and pointed to both Evie and Mal, sweeping his hand over to the table and holding up one finger. Hopefully they understood. If they didn’t, Jay was able to translate, “Ladies first.”

Even though he had done it to himself, Carlos couldn’t help but worry. What if they took all four shakes and he didn’t get any?

But that didn’t happen. Evie took the white one and Mal took the pink one, leaving the chocolate and the cookies and cream behind. Jay gestured that he should choose the one he wanted. Tentatively he picked the chocolate one. It was every bit as delicious as the one that Jay had made him. Maybe even better because there was whipped cream and a little fruit on top. He pointed at it. Evie glanced over, “It’s a cherry.”

Well, he liked cherries then. Before he could express that though, Jay dumped a bunch of fries on his plate, “Here you go, Dude.”

The fries were awesome. Jay had brought him fries before but these were a million times better. He devoured what was on his plate and looked around hopefully for more.

By the time their burgers actually arrived he could see why Jay thought that someone might puke. The burger was bigger then it looked in the picture and he had already had the milkshake and fries. But it certainly wouldn’t be him that threw up. He hadn’t thrown up in years, no matter how nasty the thing that he had eaten was or how much he ran around afterwards. He needed to hang on to every calorie he got and he had trained his body to do so at any cost.

Back home, he almost never got meat of any sort. Most of it was rotten before it made it over on the garbage barges and what wasn’t was a high value item. When you were Captain Hook with a band of pirates at your back or Maleficent, whose name scared everyone, you might have a chance at getting it. When you were a tiny, scrawny little kid armed with a small knife, you backed off.

But here, he could have meat every day, even every meal if he wanted it. His books told him that meat had protein and protein was tied to healthy physical and mental development. Hopefully it was having an effect on him.

Even thought it was an enormous amount of food, Carlos made sure to eat every bite. He had no way of transporting it home and to his drawer of food and he wasn’t going to waste it. Mal finished hers as well, shooting him a sideways look to let him know that she got what he was doing.

She had been way nicer to him the past couple of days and it was kind of freaking him out. To be honest, he didn’t really care about fighting with her one way or the other. If she got in his space, took his stuff, or tried to challenge him in any way, he would attack her without question. If she had something he needed, he would attack her to get it. If it was simply something he wanted, he would watch and wait until he could just steal it. He wasn’t an animal, after all.

Really, he wanted the same thing from Mal that he wanted from everyone else: to leave him the fuck alone. On the Isle he had needed to have a certain amount of interaction with other people if he was going to survive. Without the payment that they gave him for his inventions, he wouldn’t have food, clothing, or any of the other things he couldn’t do without.

Here he got those things mostly for free. He still had to do a few things to keep the peace, like go to Remedial Goodness and sit at his desk instead of hide under it. He had to not attack Mal. He had to be social with Jay, Fairy Godmother, Evie, and Anita. Soon he would have to be social with more people in class.

In return, he had food, clothing and safe place to sleep. He didn’t mind interacting with Jay or Anita and he was getting to like Evie. He didn’t really trust her, ever since she had tricked him into telling her that he could talk, but he supposed she was alright. As long as the magic held and she was bound by the pinky promise, his secret was still mostly safe. He didn’t like Fairy Godmother but he could put up with her in class.

Jay and Evie didn’t finish their meals but he didn’t ask for their leftovers. It wasn’t good manners to take food off of someone else’s plate unless they directly offered it to you.

He made sure to watch everything Jay and Evie did, so he would know what you did in a restaurant. You had to not only pay for the food, but leave extra money on the table. Evie caught him staring, “It’s a tip. It’s extra money for our waitress, to thank her for doing a good job serving us.”

It never failed to amaze him that people here had so much money that they could not only pay for anything they wanted but actually give other people extra money. It was so weird and they didn’t even know it.

Staying in one place for too long made him nervous, so he was glad when it was time to get up and walk a little bit. Evie was talking, telling him about the history of Auradon and some of what they were passing. Some of it was kind of interesting, but he was much more interested in making mental map of where they were going. There would come a day when they were sick of him at Auradon Prep and he would need to know these streets to survive.

It was better here then at school because most of the people were too busy doing their own thing to notice him that much. A few people stared but he could handle that. Staring wasn’t hurting.

Their first stop was a store for Evie and Mal. It had lost of different dressers and containers and shelves to help hold your stuff. He didn’t really have enough stuff to need any of it, but he couldn’t deny that some of it would be useful. It would be nice not to have to constantly untangle his wires and have one of the dividers for bolts and clips.

“You can get something, too, you know,” Jay was unexpectedly close and Carlos startled. “If there’s something you want, just let us know.”

Everyone kept saying that, but he never asked for anything. No one had ever given him anything in the past, so it felt strange to ask for it now. No wait, that wasn’t true. Darling brought him things sometimes, but he didn’t ask for it. Things like books and sometimes food, but only if she could hide it from Cruella so he wouldn’t get in trouble.

For the first time, he really thought about that and wondered if what Darling had been doing all his life was for his benefit instead of to torment and tease him. It was disturbing to think about and he pushed the thought away.

“Here, we’ll throw it in the cart,” Jay took the thing he had been looking at and Carlos belatedly realized that he had frozen with his hand on it. He didn’t want to end up owing Jay more then he already did, but he really did want the divider and he didn’t think Jay would take no for an answer anyway.

He thought that Evie might be upset about buying something for him, since he would already be getting stuff at the fabric store, but she just nodded when she took everything to the register. Again, he watched carefully to see how it was done. It seemed straightforward when you had money. You took the item to the register and they told you how much it cost. You gave them the money and got your change back. Except Evie had a little plastic rectangle and she put it in a machine by the register. No money to be found, but she still got to keep the items. Only they didn’t take them with. Once it became clear that they were leaving without their purchases, he pointed back. Evie shook her head, “We’re going to have everything sent to the school, so we don’t have to carry it. Don’t worry, it won’t get left behind.

They just trusted that the store people wouldn’t put their stuff back and sell it to someone else and that the people who brought it to the school didn’t just steal it, and that none of the other students would take it. He just couldn’t get over it.

The next stop was at the fabric store. If Cruella could have seen all the different types, plus that fact that it came in about a million different shades of black, white, and red, she probably would have moved in. Which would be been great for him, since she would be leaving him alone.

In fact, there were so many types, shades, and choices that it was kind of freaking him out. The more he looked, the tighter his chest felt and he wondered if he was going to have one of his episodes where he couldn’t breathe well.

“Here, I have a checklist,” Evie pushed the piece of paper into his hands. “You’re going to need a few types and colors of each. Don’t worry, I’ll help you.”

Seeing it all written down like that eased some of the pressure. Ok, he could do this. All he had to do was pick one thing at a time, and make his way down the list. He would just think of it as instructions for one of his inventions. You had to finish one step before starting the next, but as long as you were careful it always worked out in the end.

Evie kept her hand on his back, leading him around the store and pointing out the different types of fabric he would need, “For right now you’ll just be making things for yourself, so pick whatever you like the best.” He was still unsure so she nudged him forward, “You can touch, I promise.”

That was good to hear, since he had very definite ideas about what he did and didn’t like as far as his clothing went. Certain fabrics made him itch and he couldn’t stand to have anything touching his calves. Buttons were fine, but the sound of snaps closing made him want to scream. As far as colors went, it had to be red, black, or white. No exceptions.

With so many choices and Evie’s guidance, he found what he was looking for quickly. It was extremely satisfying to cross each thing off the list until they were done. Like the last store, she told them to send the stuff to the dorm.

Finally, the shopping was done and they were able to get to the trampoline place. It looked like fun in the videos that Jay had shown him, but it was better in real life. There were multiple trampolines, big pits filled with foam blocks that you could jump in, towers and structures to hide behind. It reminded him of the Island and the sorts of things he did there.

You had to take your shoes off, which made him a little nervous. But he been without shoes before and you got used to it eventually. He stepped out tentatively, unsure of what to do first. Jay put a hand on his back and pushed, “Come on, come on. Where do you want to go first?”

There weren’t many people in the place, so they had plenty of running room. There were a bunch of small kids, but they had their own area. It was nice to have the little ones separate and safe instead of being thrown into the fray with the bigger kids and adults.

He still wasn’t sure, so he let Jay lead him out onto one of the big trampolines, “Come on, show me what you’re going to show Annie next week.”

Carlos recognized the challenge but he was more then up to the task. He jumped onto the nearest trampoline, getting a feel for the bounce. Simple physics.

The first bounce sent him up a foot or so, and the second several feet. The muscles in his legs stretched and burned a little but it was a good feeling. It meant he was using his muscles and staying strong. He might be stuck here in Auradon, but that didn’t mean he had to let it make him weak.

If he timed his bounces against Jay’s, he was sent even higher. One more bounce and he was able to turn a flip, landing expertly on his feet. The bounce made for better shock absorption, which was nice. Jay laughed, “Dude, I don’t think that you’re supposed to do that. You could fall and get hurt.”

The people who made those rules would shit themselves if they saw him or Mal toss themselves out of second and third story windows, flipping over and landing on the hard ground without flinching.

But everyone thought that he was a good and respectful boy, and he didn’t want to do anything to change that perception. So he nodded and bounced twice more, vaulting high enough to grab one of the ropes suspended about their heads. It was fairly slack but he was able to get up and walk on it, easily compensating of the sway.

“Oh Darkness, he’s going to break his neck,” Evie’s voice was soft but he heard it anyway. She sounded terrified.

“Nah, he’s fine. He does this all the time,” Mal leaned back on her elbows to watch him. There was a time when that would have concerned him, since she was likely to either chase him or throw something to try and knock him down. But she couldn’t do that here.

Curiosity got the best of him and he walked the rope over to one of the pits of foam blocks. Deep breath and he dropped easily into it. The force caused him to sink surprisingly fast, but he was able to get back up and climb out and back to the trampoline.

Jay put an arm around him, “Dude, you’re like a little ninja.”

Carlos knew what ninjas were because he had seen them in one of the games Jay brought. They weren’t very big, but they were fast and agile and dangerous in their own right. He liked being compared to a ninja.

“Uh-oh, busted,” Evie jerked her chin over at a man who was approaching them. “He’s an employee and he probably saw Carlos turning flips.”

Fuck. Carlos pushed back against Jay. What was he supposed to do? He could fight but that would be frowned on here. He could run, but the door was so far away and they would close it before he got anywhere close. He was just going to have to take his punishment, the same way he had taken it so many times before. He just wished that it didn’t have to happen in front of Mal.

The man stopped a few feet away and pointed at Carlos, “I can’t let you turn flips, Buddy. Too much liability if you fall and get hurt.”

Carlos knew that liability meant that they thought he would get mad and try to get them in trouble if something happened. That was stupid. If he turned a flip and hurt himself, then it would be nobody's fault but his own. Would someone really blame the place?

Mal piped up, “He’s not going to fall. He never falls and he’s been a lot higher up then he was right there. He’ll be fine.”

Ok, what did she want from him? Life with Cruella had given Carlos a very highly tuned sense of when he was being manipulated and right now, Mal reeked of it. If he looked at her she might know that he was onto her, so he kept his eyes on the employee. He would watch Mal and keep his mouth shut, just like always. No point in tipping his hand so quickly.

“Don’t tell anyone I said this, but it was a great flip and I have to say that you’re the first one I’ve seen actually walk on those ropes. Just watch the flipping.”

That was it? The man wasn’t even going to touch him? Bare minimum, he had expected to be backhanded across the room. He nodded and looked down.

“Good. The two of your are the Island kids, right?” When they both nodded, he smiled at them, “Welcome to Auradon.” He reached into his pocket and pulled a few pieces of paper out, “On the house.”

Why would you put something on a house? And what did that have to do with the papers? But he had learned to recognize a gift when it was being offered so he took them. Jay looked over his shoulder, “Oh, cool! Coupons for laser tag!” He checked his phone, “So it looks like it starts in 20 minutes. You’ll really like it, C. We’ll split into boys vs. girls and we’ll have a competition. They’ll give you some special gear and a gun to at each other. Not a real gun though, it just shoots a laser, which is a little beam of light. The point is for us to hit the girls more times then they hit us. We’ll have the whole place for running room.”

Of course he knew what a laser was. He just never thought he would see one in real life and definitely didn’t think that it would be used in a game. The thought was exciting though, and he nodded.

Everyone else chorused ‘thank you’ but Carlos didn’t move. He remembered the sign, but this man probably wouldn’t know it. And even if he did, he was still suspicious of any person who just decided to give him things. Why?

Probably because this guy could go home now and tell his family that he had not only seen the amazing Island kids, but actually gotten up close and talked to them. Once he determined the motive, he was able to sign his thanks quickly.

There was a special area where you put the gear on for laser tag and Evie herded them over to it. A man went over the rules, which were basically not to touch each other or shine the laser into anyone’s eyes, including their own. He had never held a gun or seen one up close but it seemed straight forward. There were other people there but he ignored them, just like he ignored most people. There was only so many people that he could deal with at once before he started getting freaked out.

Jay leaned down and whispered in his ear, “We’ve got this one. Just like when we play partners in the video games, alright? We are going to slaughter them.”

Carlos was only halfway paying attention. The trampolines, the foam block pit, the structures for climbing were all potential traps and all potential hiding places. Jay wanted to just go in and start shooting, Carlos knew that a good strategy would be what won this game.

When the buzzer sounded, they all scattered. He immediately lost Jay in the chaos of so many moving bodies and laser beams. There was a foam structure fairly close and he slid inside of it to get his bearings. He could see Mal moving to a different structure to regroup as well. They were playing with strangers and they had Jay and Evie on their teams respectively, but the real battle was going to be between him and Mal. It was going to be just like home, except with beams of light instead of knives.

She must have sensed it too, because she was immediately on the lookout for him. Please. Mal was strong and she was smart, but she had never once taken him by surprise.

Slowly, he eased forward, remaining aware of the rest of Mal’s team. As soon as she retreated back inside he ran forward, trapping her inside and aiming for the sensor on her chest. First blood was his.

Mal shot back but he was already gone, his body twisted so she couldn’t hit him. Behind him, he could hear her movements as she gave chase and he took a hard right, aiming to get high on the ropes again. If he was over her head, she wouldn’t be able to angle to shoot the target on his chest.

Having Mal chase him was a thrill like he hadn’t had in a while. It felt like he was at home, running the streets. Not exactly of course, since everything here was padded and lower and safe, but it was enough. For the first time since he had arrived here, he felt fully engaged. His body was awake, his senses crackling.

Someone stepped in front of him near one of the trampolines and he missed his first jump at the ropes, giving Mal a chance to hit him and dance away. Now they were even.

He and Mal chased each other around and around, climbing up and leaping off of the structures, using the trampolines to end up in the ropes, all things that they would have done at home.

At some point, he became aware that their time had long since ended and everyone else was sitting down and watching them, but the buzzer that was supposed to tell them to stop hadn’t rung. So they kept going. He was still in the lead, with 9 hits on Mal vs her 7 on him, but he was starting to get tired. He had lost some endurance here, after being mostly confined to his dorm room. He had to get it back.

Finally the buzzer went off, which meant he was supposed to go back to the group so his gear could be removed. Jay was already trying to signal him over.

But he didn’t want to. He wanted to keep going and fight with Mal. Not with light beams and in a foam pit, but with fists and knives and all of the things that would end with blood and bruises and someone in the dirt. His adrenaline was raging and he wanted to do what he had done so many times before.

Mal’s eyes flashed green and he knew that she was having the same thoughts. Her grip on the gun loosened and he felt his vision sharpen further. For the first time in weeks, he was going to get to fight.

“Come on Carlos. Come on,” Jay’s voice wasn’t loud, but it was urgent. Clearly he recognized what was starting to happen and was trying to avoid it.

Mal stepped forward and everything inside of him was screaming that he needed to meet her, to accept the challenge that she was putting forth.

But he didn’t. He still didn’t understand why, but he knew that Jay would be disappointed if he fought Mal and he didn’t want that to happen. Even worse, Anita might find out, and she would be disappointed in him too. She had told him just this morning how proud she was of him for doing so well here in Auradon.

So he turned away and jogged back to Jay. His skin tingled and it took everything he had not to turn around and make sure that she wasn’t coming at him from behind. He was just going to have to make the best of it and get to safety as quickly as possible.

Jay got the buckles on the back of his vest undone, “That was awesome! Dude, you’re in way better shape then I am. You sure you don’t want to play Tourney?”

Even as he spoke, he was leaning in closer under the guise of easing the vest off. He whispered softly, “Thanks for not jumping her, even though she was kind of asking for it. You did a great job.”

His face heated and for some reason Carlos felt really embarrassed that Jay had noticed. He had a lot of feelings around Jay that didn’t make any sense. He nodded vaguely, not looking up.

“Ready to go home? I’m tired and you have to be.”

His room at Auradon Prep wasn’t home. Neither was Auradon itself. He was getting more comfortable here, but it was not, and could never be, home to him. Home was the Island, but he knew that he would never be allowed to go back there. So home was nowhere. 

But he nodded and followed Jay, not because he wanted to, or out of any sense loyalty, but because he had no other choices. It wasn’t because he liked Jay, or he wanted to be with him, or that he trusted him in the slightest. It was just because he had to.

And if anyone asked him (not that anyone would because no one ever asked him anything. He didn’t talk. That didn’t mean he was deaf or lacking in opinions about things), that was what he was going to insist was true. Because it was. Obviously.


	14. Chapter 14

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I apologize for the lateness of this chapter. It was next to impossible to get right, and I was adding POV's and subtracting them, and didn't like this or that, and this part needed to be longer and this part shorter and it was just awful. I've picked at it until I hated everything about it, which means it's time to just let it go.

Sometimes you Gotta Remember, Everyone Wasn’t Raised Like You.

It was way too early, but Mal had already been up for two hours. It wasn’t that she was nervous about starting classes. The daughter of Maleficent didn’t do nervous. The daughter of Maleficent didn’t do a lot of things that she was finding herself starting to do. She had to get out of here before it made her even weaker then it had already.

She took a second to send some extra hate Carlos’ way. Stupid asshole didn’t have to start full classes yet, or maybe ever. He was throwing her to the wolves, even if he had nothing to do with the actual decision. Maybe if he wasn’t such a weird fucker,   
he would be stuck doing this too, instead of dumping it all on her. But, no, he had either convinced them that he was too stupid to go to class, too smart, or too crazy. In any case, he was sleeping in and she was stuck taking it up the ass for both of then. It was just another thing to add to her long list of reasons she hated Carlos deVil. Just because she needed the little bastard right now, it didn’t mean she had to like it or him.

Her mother had set the task for her, but given her very little in the way of preparation for it. What was she supposed to do in class? Blend in? Stand out? Frighten the other students so she would have a chance at working in secret? Make friends in an attempt to sway them to her side? 

She had gone over her schedule over and over, until it was memorized. She would have a few classes with Evie and a few with Jay. He might belong to Carlos right now, but Evie would make him be nice to her and take care of her. The fact that it would make Carlos crazy was just an added bonus. But that left two classes where she would know nobody. But she wasn’t nervous. She was just…cautious. 

“Can you quit pacing?” Evie sat up in bed, rubbing at her eyes and flipping her braided hair off of her shoulders. “You’ll be fine, I promise.”

“I know.” She meant for it to come out biting, but it sounded more whiny and unsure. How embarrassing. “I’m just a little concerned about being behind academically.” 

In actuality, she had no doubts that she was behind academically. Her mother made sure to educate her daily, but knowing the best place to stab someone, or the villainous history of everyone on the Island wasn’t exactly what earned you good grades here in Auradon. She didn’t know anything about Auradon since the Island was created. She hadn’t read the same books as a child, and was at a disadvantage now. She knew her math, which seemed to line up with what Evie was working on. She was just going to have to do what she could, and try not to worry too much. It wasn’t like she was going to be here long enough to pass or fail this year anyway.

“If you’re behind, you’re behind and we’ll get you a tutor. You aren’t going to be able to change it in two and a half hours, so go back to bed.”

 

She couldn’t sleep. Even though it was three in the morning and she had to be up at 7, there would be no going back to sleep tonight. At home, she would have opened one of the windows and gone out it, looking for trouble or just roaming around. It made her skin crawl to know that she was trapped here, in this room. She had no where to run to and no one to fight with. She had spent the first 10 years of her life trapped in the house. She hadn’t come to Auradon to have the same thing happen.

“It’s fine if you’re a little scared. I would be scared if I was getting ready to go to school on the Island.” Evie flopped back down and arranged herself so she was more comfortable.

If Evie was getting ready to go to school on the Island, it would be in her best interests to be scared. Or terrified. Terrified might be better. Auradon might be better in terms of education, but the Island wasn’t safe, for anyone, including Princess Evie. Especially Princess Evie. “I’m not scared.”

“Ok.” Evie yawned again, and wisely shut up. “Come over here and lie down. Maybe you’ll be able to go back to sleep.”

It was enough to stop Mal’s restless movements. “With you? In your bed?” 

Even in the dark, she could see Evie flush. “Don’t make it sound weird. I just thought you might have an easier time settling down, that’s all. I always used to sleep with my parents or Ben when I was nervous.”

If she lived into eternity, it would never occur to Mal to climb into bed with her mother. Maleficent room was strictly off limits, unless Mal was specifically invited, and that was never a good thing. At best, it was a long lecture that there was no escaping from. At worst, it was going to be a world of pain for her.

“You don’t have to. But you do have to sit or lie down somewhere and quit keeping me awake. Because if I don’t get at least 7 hours of sleep tonight, I will fucking kill you. Do you understand?”

There she was. The Island Evie, the one she was supposed to be before Auradon turned her into just another wimpy princess. Not Auradon Evie, not the Evie who sometimes got shy and flirty, the one who made Mal go back and forth between wanting to run away and wanting to sit closer. That indecision bothered her. She was used to making her decisions quickly and never wavering. Evie mad her second guess herself, which she hated.

But that didn’t make her any less determined to swing this to her advantage. “Fine, I’ll come over there.”

It took only a few seconds to realize what a mistake this was. How had she forgotten that she really didn’t like being touched? And she definitely had no idea how to do that cuddling thing that everyone here was obsessed with. They wanted to hug you, and shake your hand, and kiss, or do that weird little air kiss thing. Evie wanted to lean against her, and even Jay was constantly offering to take her bag or help her up or down the steps. It was even stranger in the dark, now that Evie had turned the lamp out. 

She definitely didn’t know what to do when Evie put a hand on her back. Was she supposed to touch back? Do nothing? Try and kiss Evie? 

Maleficent would have told her to do whatever she had to, including fucking Evie through the mattress, but Mal wasn’t her mother. Maybe she wasn’t any better, but she wasn’t yet willing to whore herself to get what she wanted. Flirt, yes. Fuck, no. 

But she was her mother’s daughter, and she had learned how to play the long game. Maleficent had waited years, 16 of them to be exact, to spring her plan to get the wand into effect. Mal had to take a lesson from that and not rush things.

It wasn’t because it was warmer like this. Or because Evie’s hand on her back made her feel less nervous. It certainly wasn’t because she actually preferred Evie’s company to being alone. She was just working up a plan, that’s all. 

Behind her, Evie hummed a tune that she recognized. She didn’t know the name, or even if it had words, but she knew the melody. It played in the music box that Evie had left in her room at home. Mal wasn’t sure whose benefit the humming was for. Was Evie trying to soothe herself or Mal or both of them? 

It was only a few seconds later that the alarm went off. Great, all of this snuggling shit was for nothing. Wait, what time was it? She couldn’t have possibly fallen asleep. 

“Oh for fuck’s sake.” Evie swung at the alarm clock, only serving to knock it backwards. “Damn it!”

Mal liked to think that Evie’s mouth had been nowhere near this foul before Mal arrived. “Cool it, Princess.” Since she was closer to the nightstand, it was easy for her to turn the alarm off. 

“Thanks.” Evie gave a lazy stretch. “Did you sleep better?”

So she had fallen asleep. How humiliating. Not to mention incredibly unsafe. Evie had actually had an arm around Mal’s entire body. It would have been a simple matter to force her face into the pillow, or reach for a weapon. 

“Yes, better.” Why wasn’t she getting up as fast as she could? What was wrong with her!

“Good. You’re already packed and please don’t bite anyone or do anything terrible. Just you being there is going to be shocking enough.”

Mal snorted. “Please. Carlos bites people. I would never do something so crude.” She was much more for the mental games then the physical force.

“Either Jay or I will walk you to and from your classes so you don’t get lost. Everyone here is really nice, and they’ll help you out, so don’t be afraid to ask for it.”

Like that was ever going to happen. Mal mostly trusted Evie to look out of her. She trusted that Jay wouldn’t do anything to harm her, whether he like her or not. And she was pretty sure that the answer to that was no. Who knew what Carlos was telling him about her? Probably nothing that was blatantly untrue, since she really had been extremely nasty to him. Physical fights, stealing food, weapons, she and Carlos had done it all. Except sex. Carlos deVil might be crazy, he might be mean, and he might be either incredibly smart or incredibly stupid. He might be mute, and he might be a manipulator. But he was not a rapist. So, hey, she had noticed a positive trait about him. See, she was being a very good girl.

Her first class was history, which was good. It seemed like a class where she would mostly listen to lectures and not be expected to speak. Whoever was in charge of her education had brought the correct textbook and even left a note telling her what chapter she was working on.

Mal might not be staying here in Auradon, but Maleficent would never let her live it down if she was anything less then perfect in her schoolwork. So she made sure to study it so she would be able to answer any question if asked. 

Evie had made sure that Mal had a nice bag to put her books in, along with any other schools supplies. It was already packed and waiting, which meant Mal just had to dress and do her hair. 

She would draw far less attention if she put on some of her never clothes, the ones that looked more like what the other kids in Auradon wore. But she wanted to wear her clothes from the home, even if it got her more looks. Those clothes were her armor, and would serve to remind her that she wasn’t like these kids. She was different. She was better.

Evie was texting with Jay when she came out of the bathroom. “He’ll meet you when class is done. He overslept and he’s picking up breakfast.”

Oh, right, Carlos had Jay all but spoon feeding him. “Carlos can feed himself, you know. There’s no reason he can’t walk down to the cafeteria himself and get his own breakfast. It’s not even like he needs to fight for it or dig it out of the trash.” 

Evie flinched a little, just like she always did when Mal talked about things like that. But it was what it was. Both Carlos and Mal herself had dug food out of the trash (and it wasn’t like the food hadn’t been Auradon’s trash to start with), and she would guarantee that Evie would do the same if she got hungry enough. 

“I know he can and so does Jay. But there’s nothing wrong with making things a little easier and letting Carlos go at his own pace. He’s not adapting as quickly as you are.”

Of course he wasn’t. No one was asking him to step out of his comfort zone and do anything that he didn’t want to. From what she understood, he had absolutely everything he need and wanted right there in his dorm room. He didn’t like people or want to seek out their attention. He didn’t want power or to take over Auradon. At least as far as she knew. She guessed that he could really be thinking about anything, including taking over the country. 

She didn’t know why she cared. If Carlos wanted to stay in that dorm room all the time, it certainly made it easier to keep track of him. “He might surprise you, you know.”

Evie smiled, and Mal couldn’t help but feel like the other girl had already been surprised by Carlos and what he was capable of. “He might. But for now, let’s just leave it alone.”

That was the sign not to push it any further, so Mal grabbed her bag and slung it over her shoulder. “I’m ready.”

She could have found her own way to class, but it was fine to let Evie help her. After all, this was just part of the game she had to play to get the wand and win Evie over. She already had the other girl’s affections, but it was going to take more then that to convince her that she could run the place once she had pushed the old King and Queen out and was running the country herself. 

But she was sure that it was possible. After all, the King and Queen weren’t Evie’s real parents. And Mal would be offering her more then they were anyway. Why should Ben be the one to rule? Evie was the strong one, the capable ruler. Ben was an Auradon prince, soft and spoiled. Evie would be able to rule like a villain; they way this place should be run.

They stopped outside the door. “Ok, you can do this. Lonnie is going to help you out, and try to avoid Audrey. She’s….not too happy about you and Carlos being here.”

Oh, delightful! In a sick way, it would good to have someone around who wasn’t so damn nice to her all the time. She missed having a good, mean, verbal sparring. She could beat the crap out of Carlos, but that still wasn’t going to make him talk.

Evie opened the door and waved at a girl with black hair. “That’s Lonnie. Jay will pick you up after class. Good luck.”

The class was about half full, and everyone stared at Mal as she walked over to her desk. She wasn’t used to the weight of those gazes, and it took everything she had to keep her head up and stay strong. Most of the other students were just curious, and a few were nervous. Only one was openly hostile, which must be Audrey. Mal stuck her nose in the air and walked by, not giving the other girl the pleasure of seeing her nerves. It was embarrassing enough that Evie had seen them last night.

A tall, thin, man with a very prominent Adam’s apple walked into the room. “Good morning class. We have a new student today, and I would like you all to be welcoming. Would you like to introduce yourself?”

Mal wasn’t sure what to say. There wasn’t a citizen in Auradon who didn’t know who she was already. “I’m Mal and this is my first day of class.” Was that enough?

“Welcome, Mal. I’m hoping that you are finding Auradon to your liking. We’re currently going over the pre-Auradon age, more specifically the comparisons between China in the time of Mulan and Lady Merida. Both powerful women who stepped out and took over at a time when that was not acceptable for their gender. Are you caught up on your reading?”

Mal nodded, but they were interrupted by a voice from the back. “ Professor Crane? I know that it’s not what we’re working on, but since we have Mal as a guest, don’t you think we should talk about the Island of the Lost? After all, haven’t you always said that first hand accounts are the most reliable?”

Audrey of course. If she thought that Mal was just going to wither under her bullying, she was a moron. Maleficent would eat this girl for breakfast. She put on her sweet as sugar face. “Oh, that’s not needed. I’m not a guest, I’m a student here. I’ll be dong all the same things you guys do. Going the same places, dating the same people. What did you say your name was again?”

The other girl’s face turned to horror at the thought of Mal stealing her boyfriend with her slutty Island wiles. But she tightened her jaw and stared back. “Audrey. My mother was Sleeping Beauty. Whom I believe defeated your mother?”

Oh, for fucks sake. Mal smiled again. “Actually, if I recall the story correctly, Prince Phillip defeated my mother while your mother was taking a nap. But that is neither here nor there. We are not our parents, and we can both rise above them.”

Suck on that, bitch. Mal certainly intended to rise above her mother by succeeding where she had failed. But there was no need for anyone to know that.

Professor Crane tapped his desk. “Mal is correct. We will continue on with what we have been discussing, and get to the Isle when we are able. Audrey, you are also correct that a first hand account is often the golden standard for writing history.”

He turned back to the board, and Audrey shot Mal a dirty look. Mal returned it with an icy one. Audrey might think that she was hot shit, but she had another thought coming.

The rest of the class passed by without incident. Professor Crane didn’t call on them in class the way Fairy Godmother did. If they had a question or needed clarification, they were expected to raise their hand and ask. Mal did no such thing, but she was sure to take notes. She had already drawn first blood on Audrey, there was no point pushing it further.

Jay was waiting for her outside, laughing and joking with a boy she didn’t recognize. He smiled when he saw her. “How did it go?”

He was a lot nicer to her when Carlos wasn’t around. Though she supposed that it was lower stress when she didn’t have to worry about the two of them killing each other. “It was fine.”

“Everyone treated you ok?” He held out a hand for her bag, the same way he did for Carlos. It was hard for her to hand it over, but she allowed him to do it. He wouldn’t steal from her and risk Evie’s wrath.

“For the most part. A few people wanted to buck up on me.”

“Audrey? She’s the Queen Bee around here and she has to challenge everyone. She’s tried it with C, too.”

It took her a second to realize he was talking about Carlos. “How did he take it?”

Jay laughed again. “Same way he takes everything else. He just stared at her until she got weirded out and gave up.”

Sounded like Carlos. It wasn’t what she would do, but she had to admit that it seemed to work for him. “So she’s batting zero with us right now.”

“Pretty much. Where to next, my Princess?” 

Ok, fine, he was kind of cute and likeable when he acted like this. Maybe when she was running the place she could find something for him to do. Something other then Carlos, that was. 

“Um…math. I think we have it together.”

He sighed. “Yeah. It sucks. But if you need help, Carlos can do it. I pulled my grade up from a D to a B once he started tutoring me.”

Ooh, that was a golden opportunity to get a little closer to the crazy one. He was rightly suspicious of her unusual interest in him, but she had to figure something out. Appealing to his ego might work. 

Jay sat by her in class, waving off a blond boy who had saved him a seat. It only too a few minutes for her to realize that it was a good thing that Carlos was smart with math, because she was completely lost. Great. Next to her, Jay looked equally confused. 

Since she wasn’t getting any of it anyway, Mal took the time to look around the room. Evie had shown her last year’s yearbook, which had pictures of some of the people she would be in class with. She recognized some of them. Chad was the blond boy. Allie was in the front, laughing at something Jordan was saying. Lonnie wasn’t in this class, but a shy looking boy named Doug was. So many choices, so many different people who might prove themselves useful. How was she supposed to choose? 

The hour and a half trickled by slowly, until the bell rang. Jay gestured. “Do you want to have lunch together? Evie’s doing something with Ben, so she won’t be there, and I don’t want you to have to eat alone.”

“Don’t you have to pick up lunch for Carlos? Or are you going to let him go hungry to hang out with me?” She couldn’t believe that he would choose her over Carlos.

Jay shook his head. “He’s not eating lunch right now. I have a free period after lunch and I’m taking him to try out for his PE credit. I don’t want him puking once he starts running around.”

“Ok. I’ll eat with you.” She hated to admit it, but Jay was growing on her. She was starting to want him around for more reasons then just getting to Carlos. He would probably have a use as well once this was over. She couldn’t afford to dismiss too many people right away. She was going to be creating a country of her own, and she wasn’t going to be able to rely on any of the adults here to help her. They would all be loyal to the previous king. She would never, ever, be able to trust them.

“Cool. I always love having a pretty lady for a lunch date.” He took her bag again and walked beside her. 

So maybe he wasn’t fucking Carlos after all. He certainly seemed to like girls, or at least liked flirting with them. Good to know. Evie was her first choice, of course, but it never hurt to keep you options open.

“At least you get to miss last period.” 

She had almost forgotten about that. “Yeah, so I can go back to that stupid hospital and be evaluated again. Who wants a bunch of strangers looking at their medical records and judging them?”

“No one. But at least you get out of class. I mean, the exams are happening for both of you whether you like it or not, but they could just do it after class. Then you’d have to go to class and get an exam.”

He seemed to be incapable of looking on the bad side of anything. “I guess.”

As they were sitting down at the table, she slid her hand around and pickpocketed Jay’s wallet, her fingers so small and light that he never felt it. It wasn’t that she needed the money, but she liked to reassure herself that her skills were still there. Who knew when she might need them again?

******

It was good to be home again. As much as Evie was enjoying her new life as a boarding student at Auradon Prep, she had to admit that there was a certain comfort that   
came with being at home, with her family.

She loved Mal, and she loved Carlos too, despite the fact that they had more issues between the two of them then Allie’s ‘Auradon Girl’ magazines. When you really thought about where they had come from, and what they had endured, neither one of them looked so bad. When you just took them at face value? They were a disaster.

“E!” She didn’t even have time to turn around before a pair of arms were wrapped around her, lifting her off of her feet. “I missed you!”

She squeezed him back, almost as tightly. “I missed you, too, Bear.”

Ben set her down. “Come on, I had the staff make your favorites.”

It was so wonderful not to be asked a million questions or have a cafeteria of people staring at her. She didn’t have to worry about fights, or someone making a scene, or having to cut lunch short for one reason or another. 

She loved Mal and Carlos, and didn’t regret either one of them for a second. They both deserved the chance that they had been given and she fully understood that they were under more pressure and working harder then she was. But they were a lot of work. A lot of reward, for sure, but a lot of work.

“Where are Mom and Dad?” It wasn’t that she really expected them to be there. Her father usually ate his lunch with visiting dignitaries, or alone in his office while he worked. Her mother used the mid day time to take care of her own duties to the court. When they had been younger, a team of nannies and governenesses had made sure to feed Evie and Ben their lunches, and keep them entertained while their parents worked. Once they were old enough to feed themselves and not throw food, the twins usually ate alone, doing their homework together or just hanging out. It was one of the things she missed most about being home.

“Mom’s doing some redecorating in the east wing. That ugly green room that went out of fashion before we were born. Dad’s on the phone with the hospital. Apparently someone was supposed to get Carlos and Mal yesterday for exams and to have blood drawn, and no one did it. So they’re having to rush them in after class.”

“I’m glad I’m not the one doing the draw. I can’t imagine that either one of them is going to make it easy.” 

Their salads appeared, and Ben busied himself with his napkin and sliding the dressing bottle across the table with an air of someone who had done it a million times before. Once they were alone again, he glanced up. “So….tell me everything.”

“About Mal and Carlos?” Even though she got asked about them all the time, it was different when Ben did it. They were family. They didn’t keep secrets from each other.

“About everything. Come on, E, I’m dying of boredom here. What’s it like living at the school?”

“It’s pretty cool. Since I live with Mal, I don’t have as much privacy as I did here. We have a curfew, and its earlier then Mom and Dad’s. But since the dorm isn’t full of spies like the castle is, it’s a lot easier to sneak out and break it.”

He grinned at her. “Oooh, Mal’s turning you into a naughty girl. Tell me all about it.”

“It’s not much. Just down to the game room, and once to the kitchen to make cookies. Jay and Carlos go outside, but I’m not brave enough for that yet. Could you imagine if we got caught?”

He howled with laughter. “Of course! Dad wouldn’t know what to do with his perfect little princess who never breaks the rules. I mean, it was bad enough when Jay and I got caught cheating in math. But you? That might be the end of him right there and I would get to be king early.”

It was true that Evie was never in trouble. From the time she was a little girl, she had done her best to always be good and ladylike. She didn’t shoplift, even when her friends were doing it. She tried not to gossip and she had never been in a physical fight, except with Ben when they were much younger. 

At the time, she couldn’t have said why it seemed so important. If she was pushed, she would just say that her mother would be furious, or she didn’t want any dirt to be later dug up when she was older and a diplomat, but neither one of those things were true. 

She was only now realizing that it was because she knew where she had come from, even if she didn’t understand the complete circumstances that had led to her being taken, and was trying to push that knowledge away. Bad girls came from the Isle of the Lost. Evie was a good girl. She didn’t belong on that Island; she belonged here in Auradon, with the other good girls. When she looked back on it, Evie knew that she had always had some doubts as to the ‘your mother gave you up’ story. Otherwise why would shy have worried so much?

“Anyway, we haven’t broken curfew by going outside, so it’s a moot point. If anything, Jay and Carlos would be the ones in trouble, and don’t you dare get them into it.”

“I wouldn’t rat Jay out for a million dollars. Which means I won’t rat Carlos, either.” Ben took a bite of salad, chewing thoughtfully. “Tell me more about Mal. She’s pretty hot.”

“Don’t even think about it Benjamin. Dad would kill you and you know it.” Ben had a bright future ahead of him, married to an acceptable princess. Girl from the Isle of the Lost was 100% not acceptable.

“He might not. What stronger alliance then one that hadn’t been attempted before? Besides, who said anything about marrying her? I just think she’s hot as fuck.”

“Agreed. But she is not yours to flirt with. She’s mine.”

His blue eyes sparked. “Oh, she is, is she? Get it, Evie!” He was laughing, and she knew that any chance of something happening between him and Mal was over. “Tell me more about your new lady love. How far have you gotten with her?”

“I’m not telling you that!” She knew that her face was flaming red. “I don’t ask you how far you’ve gotten with Audrey!”

“I touched her boob. Under the shirt, over the bra.” He said it with absolutely zero shame. “Now tell me.”

“Nowhere. I haven’t even kissed her yet. I don’t even know if she likes me like that. Actually, I don’t even know if she likes me at all. She might just be using me.” It was hard to admit, but it was the truth. With every step Mal took towards her, Evie couldn’t help but feel that it was two steps back and three to the side. Sometimes Evie would look up and see something so calculating in Mal’s eyes that it made her heart stop. Other times, like the other night at the castle, when Mal’s hand slipped into hers, it was nothing but gentleness. Which one was the real Mal? She wondered if Mal even knew.

“Using you for what? She already has a place here in Auradon, and she would whether you’re involved or not. I think you’re a little paranoid.”

See, this was why she would make a better ruler then Ben would. He wanted to see the good in everyone, and assume that they had the same pure intentions that he himself did. It was a wonderful trait in a man and a father, not so much in a ruler. Hopefully their father planned on supervising him for a while and keep him from being taken advantage of.

“And I think you aren’t paranoid enough. I don’t know what she might be using any of us for, but it’s something. Or did you forget about the spellbook I gave you?”

He shrugged. “She had just gotten here when you found that. Do you blame her for being scared and wanting some back up? Things are different now. She’s settled in.”

It had been a few weeks. Five to be exact. Just a bit over a month, and Ben was thinking that she would overcome 16 years worth of experiences in a months time. Yeah, sure.

But she didn’t want to ruin the first lunch they had had together in weeks. “Maybe you’re right. But, to answer your question, we haven’t gotten anywhere. I haven’t even kissed her yet.”

“So do it. You already said that she seems interested. What do you have to lose other then the whining and pouty face?” He smirked at her and she threw her fork across the table, barely missing him. “You are an obnoxious little brother.”

“We’re twins, stupid. But if you want to get technical about it, I’m the big brother since I was here first. And I’m an entire month older.”

It was a debate they had hashed out over and over, ever since they were old enough to realize that it mattered. “They think you’re a month older, but the no one was sure. I might actually be the one who’s older. Besides, I’m more mature and act like more like a lady then you do a gentleman. Therefore, you are the little brother and I am the older sister.”

He stuck his tongue out. “Whatever, E, we both know who the favorite around here is.”

“Of course. It’s Daddy’s Princess.” She blew him a kiss. “And you know that it’s true.”

In reality, neither one of them was the favorite and they both knew it. Or, more accurately, they both were. Never once had their parents made Evie feel like less because she hadn’t come out of Belle. But sometimes it was fun to have the same argument over and over, knowing that neither one of them was going to win.

He flipped her off, and they both silenced as the main course was brought out. It wasn’t that they didn’t respect the staff, because they did. But the castle was just as gossipy as Auradon Prep, and they had no desire to add to it.

Once they had had a few minutes to eat, Ben looked up. “So, forget Mal for a second. She’s yours, I won’t mess with that. Tell me more about Carlos.”

There was something troubled in his eyes, and alarm bells rang in the back of Evie’s brain. “Why?”

“It’s…he’s the one they keep talking about. Dad and Fairy Godmother, I mean. They’re worried that he’s not progressing like Mal is.” 

Even though she had said almost the same thing to Mal earlier this morning, it still hurt to hear. “He started out further behind then she did. He’s doing well with school, even if he’s not in classes, he’s being friendly, and he did well when we were downtown. What else do they want from him?”

“I don’t know. They’re trying really hard to be sneaky about it, so can only get what I overhear. My guess would be that they want him to talk.”

Her stomach lurched. “We don’t even know if he can. They might be expecting something from him that he can’t do.” 

Of course she knew that he could, but she would take that secret to her grave. She wouldn’t betray Carlos, not even to her own twin brother. 

“They think that he can. If he can and he won’t, they’re worried about his mental health. Because Cruella’s crazy. Really, really, crazy, and they’re afraid that Carlos will turn out the same way. They think he’ll be dangerous.”

“They knew his history when they agreed to take him. Why is it a problem now?” She forced her voice to be steady and calm. 

He shrugged. “I think that they both thought that he would be a little easier. More like Mal. At least with her, you know what’s wrong. With him, it could be anything.”

Evie didn’t think that Carlos was particularly hard to communicate with. You had to be a little more patient, but he could get his point across. “What do they want to do, send him back to the Island?”

“No one said that. I don’t think they know what they want to do with him.” Ben shrugged. “I can keep listening, though. Maybe you should bring him along next time, so Dad can see that he’s not as bad as they think he is.”

That was a good idea. Her father had only seen Carlos at his worst, when he wouldn’t even come out from under the bed. If he was able to see him now, playing and going out and finally being relaxed, he would realize just how much progress Carlos was actually making. 

“I’m curious to meet both of them. I think Jay’s going to start bringing Carlos to practice, though. Something about him needing more exercise. Just for sprints, nothing too rough.”

See? Carlos was doing better. He just wasn’t as outgoing as Mal, and there was nothing wrong with that. It was harder to earn his trust, or even his interest, but it was possible, and she just had to prove it to everyone.

The subject changed to other things, like their subjects in school, when the next court session would be and how likely she was to get out of it, but Evie’s mind continued to spin. What would happen to Carlos if he didn’t speak? She didn’t think they would actually try and send him back to the Island, but they might. Or send him to a mental institution. Or a special school. He wouldn’t make it in either place. Right now the only thing tethering him to life here in Auradon was the balance he had managed to find. He had barely held it together through the move to Auradon. Uprooting him again might end up destroying him. 

She could tell everyone right now that he could talk. But what purpose would it serve? She hadn’t actually heard him do it, just had him claim that he could. Maybe it was a lie. 

And even if she told someone, wouldn’t she just be proving their worries right? That there was something mentally wrong with Carlos, not just physically? She didn’t ant to make him look worse then they already thought he was. 

Plus, she would be betraying his trust. She couldn’t do much for Carlos right now, but she could keep a promise she had made to him. So it was decided. She would keep her mouth shut and her ears open. “He’ll probably like that. I wish you could have seen him at the trampoline park. It was crazy.”

Ben’s eyes clouded. “I wanted to go. But I had to be in court and in just kept running over. I missed the whole trip.”

She didn’t know what to say. Sure, it was just one trip. If he needed something, their parents or one of the servants would get it for him. But that wasn’t the point. The point was that Ben was having to miss normal teenager stuff for his duties as the heir to the kingdom. And it wasn’t going to stop, either. The more he took on, the less time he would have to be one of them. Once he became the King, he would still be their son and twin and friend, but he wouldn’t really be one of them any longer. He would be something more, and the kingdom would have to come first. Anything less would put them all at risk.

Tears stung, but she forced them down. It wasn’t like any of this was a surprise. Ben had been groomed for this role since he was a toddler. It was just hard to see it actually happening. She wanted her brother to just be her brother, and hang out with her and Jay and Carlos and Mal. 

“Maybe next time. Or maybe one of us can talk to someone and we can have an extra day. You know, a reward for Carlos and Mal.”

He laughed. “Let’s see how they do at their exams today. If Carlos bites someone else, he’s probably not getting any sort of reward.”

“He won’t do that. He probably thought he was going to die that night. Could you imagine being thrown in a car and dumped out on the Island? It would be horrible.”

“Auradon isn’t horrible. It’s a lot better then where he came from.” Ben shook his head. “He signed the papers, so he had to know what was happening.”

“He didn’t know that. He didn’t know anything about Auradon, and he would still rather be here then the place where he was born, and the people who he had known his entire life. That ought to tell you what it’s like there.” 

They both fell silent, thinking it over. Carlos didn’t need to talk right now. He had shown them through his actions, and through his behavior, exactly what his life had been like so far. Mal spoke, but she told them a lot less. Evie didn’t think that things had been as hard for Mal as they had been for Carlos, but she didn’t think that things had been as easy as Mal liked to pretend they had been either.

“I miss you living at home.” He toyed with his empty plate. “It kind of sucks here without you.”

“Why don’t you come spend the night next weekend? You can’t sleep in our room, but you could sleep with Jay and Carlos. I would suggest us coming to spend the night here, but I think Mal might have blown that one for a while.”

Ben grinned at her. “I don’t think it was that bad. Dad was laughing about it after everyone left. I think he likes Mal’s spirit.”

“Thank Goodness.” 

Then they were both laughing, and it was just like it had been when they were kids. It made her happy and sad at the same time. “I wish we could do this more often.”

He looked like he was having the same feelings. “Me, too.”

******

“Come in, children, come on. You’ve both done wonderful with getting to class on time.” Fairy Godmother spread her arms indicating that both Carlos and Mal should sit. They took their usual places. Mal in one corner, close to the front. Carlos on the diagonal, in the back and as far away from Mal as possible. Neither one acknowledged the other.

Maybe it was time to give them a little nudge. “It would be easier on me if I didn’t have to speak so loud. Carlos, would you mind coming down and sitting in the front row with Mal?”

As always, it took a minute for him to react at all. She knew that he had heard her, and that he understood her words, but a full five seconds ticked by before he raised his head and looked at her. No nod, no gathering of his things, not even a blink. Just an unwavering stare. 

She broke the staring contest and gestured to the desk straight in front of him. They would still be separated, but at least they would be in the same row. “This one, please.”

Carlos dropped his head back down and picked up his backpack. Ever so slowly, he moved down the row and sat in the desk she had pointed at. Then he stared at her again.

Fairy Godmother hated to think ill of a child, especially one who was dealing with so much. But if she was fully honest with herself, Carlos deVil unnerved her. She had never met a child even remotely like him, and she was at a loss for how to do anything with him.

He never actually ignored her, though he moved slowly enough that it sometimes felt as if he might as well. At first she had thought that, despite the results of his IQ test, he might be mentally disabled in some way. It was like he had to think every word she said over, then decipher their meaning. But that wasn’t it. She had watched him outside of class, and he responded quickly to Jay, both in understanding the other boys words and in physical movements. So it was something that was under his control. 

His slowness, while irritating, wasn’t the problem, though. The biggest problem with Carlos was his complete lack of engagement with her. He came to class because he was supposed to, but he ignored her the entire time. If she spoke his name and tried to get him to come to the chalkboard and write the answer to a question, he would give her that blank look and stare until she gave up. She provided him with a whiteboard he could keep at his desk, and he refused to pick it up. Most of his time was spent staring into space or scribbling in the notebook that he carried with him.

When she worked with Mal, either in Remedial Goodness or on her magic, the girl sometimes got angry. Occasionally, she would have outbursts of swearing like a sailor. But she was always there, always willing to engage and fight.

Carlos didn’t do that. He didn’t fight, didn’t respond, didn’t ask for or need anything from her or anyone else. He came to class, and he sat there for the prescribed time, and then he left. Where he went and what he did was a bit of a mystery. 

At first, she had ignored his detachment. If he didn’t pay attention, he would fail his quiz. Then she would have a chance to talk to both of them about the importance of both paying attention in class and studying the material outside of it. 

That had been the plan, at least. She didn’t have to lecture, nag, or complain. Just le the natural consequences happen. If he didn’t pay attention, he would fail. Then it would be easy for him to see that her encouraging him to pay attention was in his own best interest, not because she enjoyed harping on him. Carlos was a smart boy, that much was obvious. He would draw the connection.

Except it didn’t happen. When she graded his test, Carlos had gotten a perfect score, higher then Mal had. For all the time he seemed to spend ignoring her, something was obviously getting through. 

When she passed the tests back, she made a point to praise him, and tell him how proud of him she was. He didn’t look up. When she stopped in front of his desk and didn’t move, he finally picked his head up and studied her, his dark eyes unreadable. If he was pleased to have his success noted, he didn’t show it.

The pattern continued. Carlos would ignore her all class long. He wouldn’t give an answer if asked, wouldn’t respond to either her or Mal speaking to him, wouldn’t take notes. If she handed him a worksheet, he would fill it out as quickly as possible and go back to whatever he was doing in those mysterious notebooks.

At first she had thought he was using them to take notes, but quickly decided that he was far too interested in them for that to be the case. When she asked (four times, finally resorting to tapping the desk sharply to get and keep his attention) what he was doing, he shrugged. 

Had it been any other student, she would have snatched the notebook away and informed him that he could have it back after class, but she didn’t want to see it again. As if he read her mind, Carlos locked his eyes on hers and put his hand on top of the notebook. His eyes were chillingly cold, and the message clear, even with out words. Don’t touch my things, bitch. I will hurt you.

It was disturbing, but what was more disturbing was the fact that she actually listened and didn’t take it right away. He was a child and she was an adult and he needed to respect her. “Carlos, may I please see what you’re working on?”

His eyes dilated, and his breathing quickened. In a way, he looked afraid, but it was a cagy look, the way a dog looked at you right before it bit. If she pushed him right now it might turn ugly. If she didn’t, he would know that he could get away with whatever he wanted. She dropped her voice and did her best to remain calm. “Carlos?” 

No movement, though the black of his pupils had now eaten up the brown and he was starting to grind his teeth. His hand was pressed down so hard on the notebook that his fingers were turning white. In that moment, she knew with complete certainty that he was the one who punched a hole with barrier. 

There was a crash from across the room and they both jumped. Fairy Godmother looked over, only to see that Mal had dropped all of her books on the floor. The girl shook her head. “That’s not a good idea.”

“What do you mean?” She was proud of how steady her voice was.

“Don’t challenge him and don’t take his stuff. He will get you back for it.” Mal leaned over and picked her stuff up. 

“I will not take anything from either one of you that is not dangerous, but I need to know what you are doing. If you do not know how to properly take notes then we’re here to help you. Everything that we work on in this class is to help prepare you for the rest of your school career and your lives beyond that.”

The corner of Mal’s mouth raised up. “You may need to tell Carlos that next class.”

Fairy Godmother spun around, belatedly realizing that Carlos was gone, along with all of his things. “What in the…”

Mal shrugged. “He probably went back to his dorm room. When he’s done with you, he’s done and he leaves. It’s just how he is.”

Again, she had no idea what to do. None of her other students would have dreamed of just getting up and leaving class. If they had, she would have given them an immediate detention. But she didn’t want to do that to Carlos. Not because he didn’t deserve a correction, but because she didn’t know how he would react. If he simply decided that he wasn’t going to listen to her, she wasn’t sure what her recourse was. If Mal hadn’t dropped her books and startled both of them back to reality, she didn’t know what would have happened. 

It just drove home to her how little control she had over Carlos. He left class when he wanted to, he ignored her all day long, and he actually had her afraid to issue detention or demerits. And if she couldn’t control him, she couldn’t trust him, either. 

“Are we going to keep going, or should I leave, too?” Mal was calm and focused, as if this sort of thing was completely normal for her. Of course, it probably was. She wasn’t surprised about Carlos’ disappearing act. In fact, she had been the one to orchestrate it.

“You can leave as well. But first, I want you to answer a question for me: why did you drop your books? You knew that Carlos was going to run the minute my back was turned.”

“Better then the two of you getting into a fight over it, or him taking a swing at you. He fights when he’s cornered, and you had him cornered.” Mal shook her head. “You don’t corner a wild animal.”

“You think he’s capable of great violence?” She didn’t know why she was asking. She had already seen the answer in Carlos’ eyes.

“Isn’t everyone? If you won’t fight to save yourself, you aren’t going to life very long.” Mal gathered up her books. “We’re not like you guys are. We’re learning, but please be patient with both of us.”

Somehow, Carlos had gone from being the enemy that Mal wanted to attack at every chance to someone just like her, someone she wanted to protect. It gave her hope that at last one of them was learning empathy and goodness. “Thank you, Mal. I will take it under advisement and remember that patience is a virtue.”

“Are you still going to work with me tomorrow?” Mal looked at her sadly. “I’ve been working hard on my magic.”

“Of course. I’ll see you in couple of hours for your testing. It’s nothing to be afraid of, just an update on how the pair of you are doing medically. You probably won’t have to have another one for six months or more.”

“Ok. I’ll see you then. I’ll let Jay know not to pick Carlos up.” Then she was gone, leaving the classroom empty.

Fairy Godmother sat down at her desk and covered her face with her hands. What was she going to do with these two? It had just been proven that she had no control over Carlos. She had a bit more over Mal, but not enough that she felt confident. The girl was progressing in her magic rapidly, maybe too rapidly. As her confidence grew, so did her ability to use her magic as she wished. The magic itself was neither good nor bad. It was just a force, and its trajectory was determined by the will of the caster of the spell. 

The evaluation was going to take place in two parts. First would be the physical, which she would have nothing to do with. Height, weight, bloodwork, basic exams. The results would be shared, but she wouldn’t have to be present for either exam. 

The second part was the one she was concerned about. There would be a powwow between all of the adults who worked with Carlos and Mal, discussing their progress or lack of progress. The king would be present, their teachers, the adults that interacted with on a daily basis. She would step in for Mal, and Anita would speak for Carlos. He must be quite different at her house, because she had taken him every single day this week for at least a few hours, returning him right at curfew. 

Fairy Godmother wasn’t too sure how she felt about it. On the one hand, anything was probably better then him spending all day long in that dorm room, doing Goodness knew what. On the other, she didn’t know that the Ratcliff home was the best place for him either. From what she had seen, Anita tended to baby him, as if she was still seeing the infant that they should have taken 16 years ago instead of the teenager who was actually there in front of her. 

But she had at least gotten him using sign language to express some of his needs. Or at least she had heard that that was true. He certainly didn’t show that capability to her. 

With a heavy heart, she stood up. She needed a few moments to talk things over with the King, and figure out what had just happened in her classroom, and how they would prevent it in the future. Because this couldn’t happen again.

*****

On the bed. Over the bed. Jump to the floor, in the window. Carlos paced, following the same course over and over. He was furious. How dare that woman touch his notebook? It was his. His, not hers. He sat through her stupid class, and he did his work and he aced her tests. That should be enough to get her to leave him the fuck alone.

But of course it wasn’t. She had to keep picking at him, getting in his face and trying to make him answer her questions. Why couldn’t she just admit that she didn’t like him and let it go? He didn’t need or want her attention. 

He had to admit that Mal had probably saved his ass, though. Fairy Godmother hadn’t been backing down, and he wasn’t about to either. If they had to fight about it, so be it. He had fought with adults before. Sometimes he won, sometimes he lost, but he wasn’t going to just let her think she had the right to take what was his.

No that he thought she would have known what his blueprints were for, but that didn’t mean she wouldn’t show them to someone who did. Carlos’ first line of defense was to fly under the radar, but he was fine with fighting if he had to. Those were his, and they were important. 

He had to calm down and get his focus back. If he couldn’t focus, he was going to blow his audition which was going to take place in….fuck, 30 minutes. He had to get stretched out and ready, but he couldn’t quit tensing up.

Stressing himself out wasn’t going to do anything so he slowed and stopped. What was done was done, and he had won. His notebooks were still his, and she hadn’t been able to see what was in them.

The schedule was already laid out, and it was going to be tight. Since they had rescheduled his doctor’s appointment, he was going to have to get in there, do his thing, and get out. He wouldn’t have time to warm up, so he had to do it here.

He tried to stay active in the dorm room, and when he and Jay went out at night, but it had been a while since he had moved faster then a jog. He was out of practice. With slow, controlled movements, he bent over and touched his toes, moving his hands back until he could touch his forehead to his shins. It burned and stretched a little more then it used to, but his body easily fell into place. He still had it. 

Straighten up, arms over his head and backwards to the floor again. He held that position for a few breaths and flipped his legs over, putting him back in a crouch. Ideally, he would be able to do several flips, but that would mean going onto Jay’s side of the room. It was ok when Jay was there, but he still felt really uncomfortable even walking on Jay’s half without permission. If something got lost or broken, he didn’t want Jay to blame him. He probably would anyway, but Carlos wanted to minimize his chances of getting hurt.

Loosen the back and neck, work the legs, stretch the arms. He had no idea what he would be asked to do, and he wanted to be prepared. Focusing on that would keep him from getting too worried about the medical part that was coming. He wasn’t going to let them knock him out again. 

‘Hey, C.” Jay spoke as he opened the door and Carlos jumped a mile. “Mal said that you guys got out of class early.”

Well, one of them had gotten out of class early. But they could go with that version of the story. He nodded.

“How did you manage that? Fairy Godmother never lets class out early. Even if she runs out of things to say, she keeps on going.”

Carlos could have probably used his signs to explain what had happened, but he didn’t. If he was honest, it wouldn’t look good for him. If he lied, Mal would rat him out anyway. She might be being nicer to him, but he didn’t trust her at all. So he went with a basic shrug and hoped for the best. 

Luckily, Jay backed off. That was what Carlos like best about him. He never pushed or forced. Maybe one day, Carlos would tell him some secrets. Because he had a lot of them.

“We’re on a tight schedule, so why don’t you get changed? I’ll double check the music and we’re good to go. Don’t worry, you’ll be great.”

Everyone kept insisting that this wasn’t an actual test, and thus he couldn’t fail it. It was more of an evaluation, to see where he should be placed. But he couldn’t help but be nervous. If he failed at home it was a very bad thing for him. Failing here was an unknown, but probably just as bad. 

No one had remembered to buy him clothing for PE after all, but he was able to wear his own shorts and borrow a plain white T-shirt from Jay. It was a little big on him, but he had worn worse. 

People still stared at him when he walked across the quad, but he didn’t react. He didn’t stare back, didn’t duck behind Jay. Just kept walking and pretended that they didn’t exist. It still terrified him, but he wasn’t going to show it.

The dance studio was in a big gymnasium. It was mostly a big open room with a lot of mirrors, something Carlos approved of. It was be almost impossible for anyone to sneak up on him. 

A redheaded girl came bounding out. She had on a very tight one piece outfit and her hair was done up in a bun on top of her head. Was he supposed to wear something like that? She pointed at him. “Hi. I’m Annie and I’m going to guess that you’re Carlos? Welcome. Now go over to the barre, and let’s see what you can do.”

It only took a few seconds for Carlos to realize that he was in big trouble. Annie was asking him to do things, but she was speaking in a totally different language and he had no idea what she wanted. Finally, he just froze. 

Annie breathed out slowly. “You have no idea what I want, do you? Ok, give me a minute.” She turned and walked out of the room.

Carlos looked over at Jay, silently asking what he was supposed to do now. Jay shrugged. “Just hold tight for a minute.”

Annie came back with another girl. “This is Maria. I want you to watch her and see if you can mimic what she does.”

That he could do. Annie called out the first thing again, and Maria moved so that she had one foot pointed. Carlos did exactly as she did. “Good.” 

They went through several positions, each a bit more acrobatic then the last. Occasionally, Annie would call out a correction, or ask him to hold something, and Carlos did his best to follow what she wanted. 

“Well, you’re flexible enough. Can you jump?” She was moving quickly.

He liked it. She didn’t baby him or treat him like he was stupid. Either he was right and she moved on, or he was wrong and she offered help until he did have it right. She wasn’t nice and gentle. She expected results. Carlos knew how to handle that sort of person. He could jump on, off, up, down, over, and through. 

“Alright, let’s go.” She called out each jump, and Maria demonstrated. He could do this. Maybe he wasn’t as neat with it as Maria was, but he managed to do each. “Good. Go back to the barrre. I’m going to see how flexible you are. Thank you, Maria, I appreciate your help.”

The other girl smiled, and it reminded him of Mal. “No problem. Carlos, I hope I’ll be seeing you later.” She put her hand on his shoulder, and he had to force himself not to flinch.

Oh for Maleficent’s sake, this girl was trying to flirt with him. That was exactly how girls acted on TV when they liked a boy. He had learned a lot of things by sitting there and watching it when Jay was gone. Well she was going to be pretty disappointed, because he was most decidedly not interested. 

“Back to the barre. I just want to see how your flexibility and stamina is once you’ve started working. Just show me how you can stretch.”

Again, something he was good at. Staying safe back home depended on being fast, having a lot of stamina, and the ability to stuff himself into some amazingly small spaces. 

It hurt a little when he pulled one leg up over his head but it was a good and familiar hurt. From the way Jay whistled from across the room, though, he suspected that the other boy would not find it a familiar or welcome burn at all.

He was able to hold various positions for quite a while. Or not. He guessed he didn’t know. Maybe everyone here in Auradon was better than him at this and everything else.

Once he had proven that he was at least minimally physically capable, she asked Jay to put on the music he had brought. “Just do what you usually do. Pretend I’m not here.”

Good luck with that. Carlos liked ignoring people, but he never made the mistake of thinking that they didn’t exist. He turned away from her got ready to start.

He never really had a plan for what he was going to do, nor did he tend to repeat the same dance more then once. This was the only time he was able to be creative, and he didn’t like to waste that. He spun and flipped, going up the walls and landing securely back on his feet. When he was doing this, it was the only time that his brain was quiet and calm. Every other time it spun and worked and made up unlikely scenarios that made his heart start racing. This was when he final felt in sync.

The song ended more quickly then hr remembered, but he was fine with it. You didn’t survive on the Island without learning to think on your feet. When he was done, he shook himself off to release any lingering tension and waited. 

Annie was impressed. She didn’t say it, of course, but he could tell. Jay didn’t bother holding back, and picked him up in a tight hug. “Dude, you rock! Why didn’t you tell me that you were good at this?”

Carlos couldn’t 100% say that he liked it when Jay hugged him or Anita kissed him, but he didn’t hate it, the way he had at first. Maybe he liked it a little bit. Enough so that he didn’t actually push them away at least. He could have fought to get down, but he didn’t do that either. He just let Jay hold him with his feet a few inches off the ground.

“Carlos, you did a good job today, and I’ll definitely have a spot for you somewhere. I’m going to give you a book with the terms that you need to know, and I want you to study it. I’m also going to write down what clothes you’ll need.” Annie smiled at him, which made her look very pretty. He belatedly remembered his manners, and signed a quick ‘thank you’ at her. 

“He says thanks.” Jay put his hand on Carlos’ back. “You really were great.”

Why was it that he didn’t care when his teachers or Fairy Godmother told him that, but it was important when Jay did it. It was even more important when Anita did. Instead of irritating him, it made him feel embarrassed and shy. It just went to prove that emotions were unreliable and stupid.

While Annie was in the back, Jay looked down at him. “So, I’m thinking that I drop you off for your testing, and afterwards we order some pizza and play video games. Just the two of us, hanging out.”

He wished that they could just go back to the dorm room now. The last time a bunch of doctors wanted to look at him, they had put him to sleep and locked him in a strange room. Probably that wouldn’t happen to him this time, but he wasn’t sure. Maybe Jay would throw a fuss if they tried to take him. For some weird reason, the other boy seemed to like having him around. But, then again, if he left Carlos at the hospital again, he would get the entire room to himself. So it could to either way.

Even if Jay got rid of him, though, it would be fine. He had had a few good weeks, which was more then he had had in pretty much ever. He supposed he should be grateful for that. 

Annie came back with a book and small stack of papers. “I’ve marked the things I want you to know for next week. I want you to stretch every day, and keep up with endurance. Swimming, running, anything to keep you going. 

He didn’t swim. No one he knew could swim and he would sooner die then get anywhere near that water. There were….things in there. Scary things with a lot of grabbing tentacles and sharp teeth. But he could run. He was a good runner, since he got lots a lot of practice at home, hiding from his mother. 

“Hey, I know. Why don’t you come to Tourney practice with me? You can run sprints and that sort of thing, then sit out while we do the rest. It’ll be fun.” Jay smiled at him and Carlos had to force himself not to smile back. It would be nice not to be trapped in the dorm room every single afternoon. He nodded.

“Good. I’ll be in touch.” With that they were both dismissed, to leave and go to the hospital. 

Jay hung on to the pile of stuff. “Ready? I have practice, but I’m going to cut out early so I’ll be able to pick you up as soon as you’re done.”

So he probably wasn’t getting left there, then. Unless Jay was just buttering him up and hoping that he would go quietly. If that was what was going to happen, then that was it. He was not going to some sort of pussy about it. 

At the hospital, Jay gave him a quick slap on the back. “See you in a little bit.”

He might have doubled back and tried to run, but Fairy Godmother was already there, beckoning him forward. He scowled, but he obeyed. “We just need a quick physical exam, which will be just you and the doctors. We certainly want to give you your privacy.”

For fuck’s sake. There might not be a bunch of people standing there watching him get looked at, or behind one of those magic mirrors. They would give him that. But if the doctors took the results in the other room and immediately shared them with everyone, what did it matter if they watched or not. Fairy Godmother didn’t have to like him, but at least she could refrain from bullshitting him. 

There were three doctors waiting for him in white coats. He thought that at least one of them had been there on the first night, but his memories were a bit hazy, and he wasn’t completely sure. “Hi, there, Carlos. I’m Dr. Walt and I’m going to be in charge of your exam. I need you to strip down to just your underwear so we can get this done as easily as possible. There’s a hospital gown on the chair if that would make you feel more comfortable. You can go behind the curtain to change. I’ll try to be as quick as possible.”

He would be more comfortable if he could just leave. But since that didn’t seem to be an option, he picked up the gown, which covered about as much as his underwear did anyway and put it on. Then he came back out and waited. If he wanted them to not give him drugs to make him sleepy, he had to cooperate with them.

“Wonderful. First I want you to stand up here so I can measure your height and weight. We want to see if you’re growing.”

He was curious about that as well. Carlos knew that he had gained weight here. When he showed or changed, he could see that his body looked different. His ribs and hip bones didn’t stick out like they used to. It was a good thing, in his opinion. He was healthier and had more energy. Those were good things.

Dr. Walt looked at the numbers and compared them to his notes. “You are 18 pounds heavier then you were five weeks ago. You are also an inch and a half taller. You’re moving up on the growth chart, which is fantastic.” He held up a piece of paper. “See? Before your height was average on the chart, and your weight was barely over the 3rd percentile. Now your height percentile is still greater then your weight, but the numbers are much more in line. Now hop up on the table so I can check your heart rate and blood pressure.

Carlos had been asleep for this part the last time, so it was all new to him. The doctor put a cold disk on his back, and listened to his heart through a tube that lead up to his ears. Then he took the ear pieces out. “Do you want to have a listen?”

He did, and stuck the pieces in. That whooshing noise was his heart, the thing that kept him alive. One louder beat, one softer. It was pretty cool. Knowing what the doctor was doing helped keep him calm and grounded. He handed the instrument back.

Blood pressure was next, and the doctor was sure to hold the arm wrap so he could see what was going on. Again, he was shown the difference. “It’s a little higher then before, but it still looks excellent. It’s probably higher because you’re awake right now, and probably a little nervous, right?”

Of course he was nervous! But he just shrugged. “Moving on. I’m going to shine a light in your eyes and ears and look down your throat. None of this should hurt.”

Carlos didn’t like the light in his eyes, but it was over in a few seconds. “Good job. So, I wanted to talk to you about some of these marks. See, here and here? Can you tell me what made those scars?”

Cruella’s cigarette, of course. Carlos knew it, and so did the doctor. He wasn’t going to confirm it, though. It was between him and her, not him and the doctor. He looked to the side and didn’t react.

“Fair enough. It looks like the bruises you had when you arrived are all gone, which tells me that you had an accident of some sort, rather then some sort of bleeding disorder. I would say that you appear to be perfectly healthy.” 

They both knew that Carlos hadn’t had an accident either, but he was fine with pretending he had. “There’s just the small matter of the blood draw, and I’ll be setting you free to go to the next part.”

Carlos shook his head. No, he didn’t want to have his blood drawn. He didn’t want them to stick a needle in his body and steal his blood and cast whatever spells on it that they wanted. 

“I know, nobody likes this part. But if you just hold still and let me do this, it will be over in a few seconds.” Dr. Walt, flicked his eyes over to the other doctors in the room, and Carlos realized what a bad position he was in. Those two men were there to hold him down if he decided to fight. He didn’t want that, so he made himself sit still and nod. It was going to happen whether he liked it or not, so he might as well just give up now. Sometimes it was the only thing there was left to do.

“Hold your arm up and make a fist.” The doctor lightly ran a thumb over the inside of his elbow, the same place they had stuck him before. “There we are. So I’m going to go right into this vein and take two small tubes of blood. It’s going to hurt a little bit when the needle goes in, but it will be over fast.”

At least the man was honest about it. Carlos wasn’t afraid of pain. Cruella had done things to him that were far worse then a little needle in his arm. He held perfectly still and didn’t jump when it went in. It did disturb him to see his blood filling up the tubes, but it wasn’t really that much. He had bled more all over the floors of Hell House. 

Dr .Walt had been honest about how fast it was. The needle came out and there was a piece of cotton pressed over the small hole that was left. Then wrapped something stretchy over the cotton in a cris-cross pattern. “Leave that on for 15 minutes or so. Thank you for making this so easy on us all. You can get dressed now, and then out the door and to your left.”

His arm hurt more then the doctor said it would, but he didn’t touch it or take the bandage off. He wasn’t going to let them know that they had injured him. He might not have much, but he did have some pride.

The next room was full of people. He recognized Dr. Doppler, and Fairy Godmother, and the King. Most of the people he didn’t know at all, but he knew what they were there for. They were going to decide whether or not he was going to stay in Auradon, or if they got rid of him. 

“Hi, there Carlos. The King smiled at him, but Carlos wasn’t about to smile back. He didn’t trust the man. He didn’t trust anyone. Except maybe, Jay, a tiny bit. And possible Anita a little. Maybe. Not really. Kind of. “You can sit where ever you want.”

He picked an empty chair and sat, feeling more nervous then ever. It was him against them, and he had nobody on his side. “I see that the physical exam went smoothly. How are you liking things here in Auradon?”

He shrugged. He liked it ok sometimes and not at all at other times. He liked having enough food, and the fact that he didn’t have to watch his back as much. He missed his freedom, though. He didn’t like going to Remedial Goodness, or the therapist. He didn’t like feeling like an animal in a cage, just there for everyone to stare at.

But he didn’t know how to explain that. Anita was working with him on signing, and he could say some simple things. He could say he needed the bathroom, or a drink or something to eat. He could even ask for specific foods or drinks if he wanted. He could tell her that something was hurting him, or which book he wanted to read that night. Easy stuff. Explaining deeper emotions and feelings? Not so much. Nor was he particularly willing to try. 

“I see that you’re getting ready to start classes next week. Are you excited about that?”

He nodded. Not because it was true, but because it was what he was supposed to say. He was pretty nervous about it. 

“What’s your favorite part of being here?” Now it was different person asking, and Carlos fumbled. He was supposed to look at the person talking to him, but he didn’t know who that was. His heart started to beat in his ears and he looked down. What was he supposed to say?

Dr. Doppler tried to help him out. “How about being able to be around people your own age, or the food, or having more freedom? Those are all things we talked about.”

They had talked about none of those things, but Carlos recognized that the man was trying to help. He thought for a second and finally gestured ‘food’. Dr. Doppler laughed. “He says that he likes the food.”

Everyone else laughed, too. They tried to ask a few more questions, and Carlos fumbled through some signs and shrugs. He was nervous and his skin was starting to blotch up again. Dr. Doppler clapped his hands. “Thank you, Carlos. I’m going to have you go out in the lobby while we talk a bit, alright? I’ll walk you out.”

Once they were out of earshot. The man touched his arm where the spots were. “If you’re so nervous that you’re breaking out in hives, you have the right to tell everyone you want to stop. Ok?”

That was stupid. Why would people stop trying to bother him just because he wanted them to? They were the adults and he was the kid, which meant he had absolutely no power. He liked not having the shit beaten out of him, thank you very much.

As he was getting ready to sit down, Anita breezed in. “Sorry, I’m late, the traffic was terrible.” She saw him and smiled. “Hello, Carlos. Are you doing alright?”

Not really, but he was happy to see her. Anita was the one who understood his signs the best, and she would make sure that everyone else understood him. She would make them leave him alone. He pointed to the bandage on his arm and she frowned “Ouch. Did they take blood?” 

He nodded. “Poor thing. Do you want me to get you something to drink?” She wrapped her arm around him as she spoke, and he leaned slightly into her. On TV, you were supposed to hug the other person back, but he didn’t do that. It just seemed weird to him.

Anita went through her purse and came up with a handful of change. “There’s a machine down the hall. Come right back and wait for me to finish, alright?”

It surprised him that she trusted him not to just run off, but he could do that for her. Anita was going to go in there and tell them that he was fine, and that the as doing a good job and that they should leave him alone. As long as he behaved himself and made sure he was zero trouble to anyone, he would be ok. Being silent and still and perfectly behaved was how Cruella had liked him best, and it had to be how Anita would like him best, too. Quiet, calm, and perfect. He could do that.

******

The meeting hadn’t even started yet, and Anita could already tell that it wasn’t going to go well. She had wanted to be there at the beginning, so she could see them actually question Carlos and provide help if he needed it. A traffic accident had backed things up so badly that that just wasn’t an option. So he had had to face them alone, just like he had faced everything else. 

He appeared to have made it through the physical exam without needing sedation, so that was a huge improvement. It was just going to be slow going with him, a marathon more then a sprint. She could live with that. 

“Hi, sorry I’m late.” She took an empty chair.

The King smiled at her. “That’s not a problem. We’re just getting started and we appreciate you taking the time to come and meet with us today. The doctors are getting ready to present their findings.”

The first one stood up. “We should have his bloodwork results in just a few minutes. But we do have his other results. We’re very pleased with his physical progress. In five weeks, he’s gained 18lbs. That’s a 4.5lbs a week, about three quarters of a lb a day. He’s moved from barely being on the charts for weight to the 11th percentile. His height is at the 31st percentile. I wouldn’t want to see him continue to gain weight at this pace, but I’m thinking that he will level off once his body hits the correct height/weight ratio. He’s also gained an inch and a half in height. This is with no special feeding program or any steps taken to increase his appetite. Just access to nourishing food and enough of it. His being underweight on intake was more likely the result of external causes, such as just not having enough to eat.”

Even though she had suspected as much, it was still painful to hear that there were children in this world, just a few miles from where she was sitting right now, who were seeing empty plates, or digging through the trash, and still going to bed hungry. Carlos was fairly small, but he was still teenager sized. He had the ability and strength to fight for something to eat. What happened to the smaller children? How did they feed themselves if their parents didn’t do it for them? How had Carlos fed himself at age 5, or 7? 

Not well, she knew. He cleaned his plate at every dinner she had made him, eating the things that most teenagers would turn their noses up at. He never asked for a second helping, but ate it immediately once it was offered. She didn’t give him more than two servings of the main dish, since each serving was on the large side to start with, but he had unlimited access to fresh fruits and veggies and of course never restricted his drinks. 

While he was definitely getting enough to eat at her house, he was still very focused on food. Even right after a meal, he kept one eye on the kitchen at all times, sometimes even making a few trips through it to look at the food that was there. You didn’t get that level of worry over food without a very good reason. 

“His heart rate and blood pressure are well within normal ranges. They are elevated from the first readings we obtained, but the first reading was obtained under sedation, while he was awake and stressed for this one. His vision looks good, ears are clear, and a second look inside his mouth and down his throat shows no deformities.”

There was a tap at the door, and another doctor entered with a piece of paper. “Wonderful, the results of the blood draw. Now, we just ran a quick panel on him, so we could get the results to you right away, but if this looks good, there is no reason to think a deeper panel will show any abnormalities.” He looked over the paper in his hand and smiled. “Our boy is looking good. Iron is into the normal range. Low normal, but still normal. Everything else is normal as well. I would feel comfortable saying that he is quite physically healthy right now.”

“So you don’t feel that he needs further monitoring from a medical standpoint?” The King shuffled his papers. 

“No more so than any other 16 year old boy. I would like to recheck him in 6 months, but unless something pops up that is cause for concern, I would consider him to be ready for freedom.”

“That’s wonderful to hear. Thank you for taking the time to look him over.”

Once the doctor left, they all looked at each other. King Adam cleared his throat. “So, Carlos is doing very well physically. Now we have to consider how he is doing mentally and emotionally. Who would like to speak first?”

Anita had written notes the night before, so she wouldn’t forget anything. She opened her mouth to speak, but Fairy Godmother beat her to it. “I have grave concerns about the boy’s emotional state.”

The King gestured for her to continue and Anita seethed. They were going to hear negative things before she had a chance to tell them anything good.

“He’s very unresponsive to me in class, which is a complaint that his other teachers have raised as well. It’s like he’s…”She trailed off and helplessly flapped her hands. “It’s like he has no emotions at all. He doesn’t care about making anyone else happy.”

Of course he didn’t. Why would he? Carlos had spent his entire sixteen years, minus a few weeks, learning that people would not make him happy. At best, they would ignore him. At worst, they would hurt him. So that was what he gave back. What Fairy Godmother failed to realize was that he was taking her feelings into account the best way he knew how. Ignoring was preferable to hurting. 

“Is he capable of doing the work?” The King peered at her. “I’ve noticed that he tends to freeze when he gets overwhelmed. Maybe he doesn’t respond because he’s afraid of making a mistake.”

She shook her head. “He can do the work. He’s never gotten less then a perfect score on a quiz or worksheet.”

Anita interrupted, trying to bring this back to something positive. “He’s very capable when he’s doing his homework at my house as well. I’m always available to help him, but he does well on his own.”

The King seemed confused. “So he is doing his work? What do you mean by unresponsive, then?”

“He doesn’t pay attention. He spends all day long scribbling in a notebook, and he won’t let me see what he’s doing. I know that he’s not taking notes for class. I tried to look at one of them today, and I thought that he was going to jump me. There’s something not right about him.”

That did it. If no one else was going to stand up for this kid, she would do it. “I don’t understand what you’re getting at. You’re accusing him when he’s done nothing wrong. You think that he’s not taking notes for class. You think that he would have jumped you. But what did he actually do? Nothing. You’re projecting your emotions onto him.”

The other woman’s head snapped around and Anita knew that it was on. She was having to fight to control her temper, and Fairy Godmother was clearly having to do the same. “I have him for an hour, 3 days a week. I think that I’ve had more opportunities to observe his behavior in a natural setting. You coddle him like he’s a toddler and put zero pressure on him. Of course he’s going to behave differently for you then he does in the real world. He’s manipulating you.”

“Him spending time in an actual setting is more natural than a classroom that he’s bored to death in. I don’t have any trouble controlling him, why do you?”

“Alright, Ladies, let’s please not make this personal.” The King held up his hands to indicate them both. “I know that this is a touchy subject, but we’re all here because we love and work with this boy. Everyone sees a different side of him, which is why I invited everyone who he has a lot of contact with. Let’s be respectful and listen to each other.”

Anita wasn’t really sure how to respond to Fairy Godmother’s accusation. If she was being completely honest, sometimes she felt like she had been handed a toddler in the body of a teenager. A toddler who was almost as tall as she was and potty trained, that was. In some ways, he was so far behind where he should have been it was ridiculous. 

Just last night, while she was reading to him, he had pointed at no less then 10 different things in the text that he didn’t understand. What is a quarter, Anita? What is Turkish Delight, Anita? What is a beaver, Anita? All things he had no idea about.

He hadn’t even known who Father Christmas was. When she explained the legend, he had indicated that he understood, but had shaken his head when she told him that he, too, would get gifts this year. He wasn’t good, and that was all there was to it. He may not have had any desire to be good, either, but she was hoping for the best.

He also didn’t really understand the basics of having a conversation. It wasn’t his lack of speech that concerned her, that would either come or not, depending on his capabilities, but that he didn’t seem to get that there was an actually back and forth to it.   
If she asked him to do something, he assumed it meant right that second and just turned around and got to it without ending the conversation. To him, the entire point of communication was being told what to do in as few words as possible and then him doing it. His opinions and desires did not matter and there was no point in expressing them. 

And she didn’t doubt that Carlos was attempting to manipulate her. Again, it was the only way he knew how to interact with other people. They tried to use him for what he was capable of, and he tried to use them. She was providing him with food, and drinks, and a place to stay, so he felt that she was owed something in return. He just wanted to make sure he was getting the best possible deal out of it. 

Even though it made her sad, she did understand it. She had had decades to fall in love with the idea of a child, even though it hadn’t happened for her. When the call came for families to adopt the children taken from the Island, she and Roger had been offered first choice, second only to the King himself. 

She had been sure that Cruella had managed to have a child. Her best friend had been as wild as they came, even before getting sick, and her illness had made her loose any caution she might have once had. Using protection against a pregnancy would have never crossed her mind, even if she had been able to get it on the Island. 

Anita spent the entire ride to the hospital falling in love with a baby she had never seen. Would it be a boy or a girl? Would it get Cruella’s white on black hair, or look more like its father, whoever he might be? Would her baby be one of the smallest, or one of the largest? Would they have Cruella’s dark eyes with the black lashes, the ones that made both men and women swoon? 

She even knew what she would name her new baby, though it wasn’t a name she had chosen. When they had still been giggling teenagers, fantasizing about husbands and babies, Cruella had had some very definite ideas. Carol for a girl and Carlos for a boy. Both names meant strong, and how could a child of hers be anything but? Whether Cruella had remembered that comment or not, Anita was determined to use those names, so that she would have something to tell her child when they were old enough to have questions.

But there was no baby. She could have her choice of any of the others, but they had gone to Hell House and found absolutely nothing there except piles of rotting furs. No child, male or female.

She couldn’t believe it, even going as far as to look at every baby and toddler brought in, as if her friend’s child might be hiding among them. Some of them were crying, and some frozen in fear. A few slept, or attempted to reach for her as she walked by. 

But none of them were her baby. She felt like she would look at them and just know, and she didn’t have those feelings. These children had already lost everything they had ever known, and she wouldn’t take one only to saddle them with a mother who secretly resented that they weren’t someone else. So she thanked the King and resigned herself to never being a mother. She acted as an Auntie to dozens of kids, but none of them were hers.

She had nearly forgotten the dream of motherhood when the call had come two months ago. They had been wrong, and there was a child after all. A boy, one who now a teenager instead of a baby.

And the love came roaring back. This was her child, and she was getting a second chance to have him. She knew it the minute she laid on him, and saw how much he looked like his mother. The hair, the eyes, and something she couldn’t quite put her finger on. 

And he was making progress, despite what Fairy Godmother seemed to think. Every day he sat a little closer to her while she read. He wasn’t on the couch yet, but he was within arms reach. He had moved to following her around the house like a puppy instead of hiding. 

But she didn’t mistake that for love. It was survival instinct, pure and simple. He might love her in time, but she didn’t fool herself into thinking that he loved her now. She had to accept and be alright with it, or she was setting herself up misery.

“So what do you propose we do with him? Write a 16 year old off as irreparably damaged and send him back to the Island? You might as well sign his death warrant with your own hands if you do that.”

“No one is suggesting that we send him back to the Island. That is not an option, period.” The King was shaking his head. “Fairy Godmother, can you be a little more clear about what he’s doing?”

“It’s the way he looks at me. He hates me and I don’t know why.” She helplessly waved her hands.

“Probably because he knows you hate him.” Anita couldn’t resist getting the dig in. “He’s not stupid. If you don’t want to deal with teaching him, find a different teacher who does. I’ll teach him for three hours a week.”

“That might be an option. The two of you seem to be developing an extremely antagonistic relationship. Maybe having a break from each other would improve the situation.” 

“If I may.” Dr. Doppler spoke up again. “Anita, why don’t you tell us a little more about what you do with Carlos while he’s at your place?”

This was easy. “I pick him up and usually make him a snack of some sort while he does his homework. Then he helps me make dinner. He’s shown an interest in learning to cook. After dinner I sometimes play a board game with him, or Roger works with him in the music room. We usually spend a little time working on his signing. He’s learning to play the piano. Then I send him for a shower, since I keep him so close to bedtime. I read a chapter in his book to him and then I have to bring him back. I would be more then willing to keep him overnight, but I understand that it’s against school policy.” 

“Is he generally compliant with you? Does he doe his homework without complaint?”

“Yes. He knows that I expect it to be done before he can do anything else and he doesn’t give me any issues with it. He just does it.” In fact, Carlos had yet to give her issues over anything. While it appeared sweet on the outside, it just proved to her that he wasn’t yet comfortable enough with her to let his true self show. He was afraid of what would happen if he expressed himself.

“I find his compliance with you very interesting. Because my experience with him has been more in line with Fairy Godmother’s. While he is not frequently outright defiant towards me, he is usually very detached and non-interested in what I’m attempting to do with him. You said that you were reading to him? Playing games? What books and games?”

It made her feel at least a little better to hear that he did better with her then he did with other people. “Right now I’m reading him the Lion the Witch, and the Wardrobe. We’ve tried a couple of different board games, but they’ve all been pretty easy. He’s smart enough for harder games like Scrabble and Monopoly, but we’re still working on the basics of playing with him. I don’t think anyone has ever played with him before.” She didn’t say what she was really thinking, which was that she didn’t know if Carlos had ever played before period.

“Based on his behavior, I think Anita has the right idea here. Fairy Godmother and I are treating Carlos as the age he physically is, while Anita is treating him as the age he is at emotionally. I’ve heard of it being done before, and it seems to be working in this case.”

“So babying him is the way to go? I can’t see that going over well.” Fairy Godmother seemed confused, and, judging by the look on his face, so was the King.

“Don’t look at it as babying him. Look at it as giving him remedial help, the same way he’s taking Remedial Goodness. He’s learning the things now that he didn’t before. Following instructions, taking turns, winning and losing with grace. Reading and being read to does open up neural pathways in the brain that may have not have been open for him before. Neglect will actually destroy a child’s brain. What we are trying to do here is rebuild what might have been lost.”

Anita hadn’t thought of it that way, but she could see his point. Shadowing her was teaching Carlos more then she had realized. But beyond that, he was seeing how a normal family functioned. He was seeing that they would provide for his needs without being forced. They would feed him, and provide him with as many drinks as he wanted. He would have a warm place to sleep, and no one would hurt him. Academics were important, no doubt, but were they really as important as him being able to function in larger society? Was there even the smallest chance of him being able to marry and love a child of his own?

The King looked over at her. “Anita, since you seem to be having the most success with him, I want to hear your opinion. Do you think that Carlos is showing improvements since you’ve started working with him?”

She said the first thing that came into her mind. “He showed me where he got his blood draw today.” It sounded pathetic when she said it out loud, but she knew that it was huge. 

They all looked confused, so she hastened to explain. “He had an injury, and, instead of hiding it, he deliberately showed me. That would have never happened a week ago. He knows that I won’t attack him when he’s hurt, and he thinks I can help him.”

“Is he speaking to you? Anything?” Fairy Godmother spoke up.

“No. He’s signing more and more but he’s not talking. I actually don’t know if I’ve heard him make any sounds at all.” She thought again. “He whistles really well and can learn a song in just a repetition or two.”

She thought again, desperate for something she could tell them that would make them see the progress that she did. “Oh, wait, he did kind of whine on the way over, when he thought we were going to hit the barrier. He’s capable of making sounds. But other then that, no. I’m just not worrying about it for right now. He communicates in other ways, he’s healthy, and he’s starting to bond with people. Just let the talking thing go for now. It’s clearly turning into a power struggle, and I feel like he’s the last kid you want to get in a power struggle with.”

Deep down, she was a bit proud of that fact. Carlos had suffered. He had been abused, he had gone hungry. He had been through enough that he wouldn’t even speak. But he was still hanging in there, and still fighting. He fighting back the only way he knew how, and she couldn’t help but love him for that fact. His spirit was damaged but not broken.

“Agreed.” Dr. Doppler leaned back. “I would leave anything relating to his speech to his speech therapist. Clearly the tactic we’ve been taking with him is not working, so let’s try something new. Maybe instead of just expecting good behavior, we need to actively reward it. It seems simple to us, but he may genuinely not know what is expected. If he knows he can earn extra privileges, he may be more likely to comply.”

Fairy Godmother turned to Anita. “Well, you know him the best. What sort of privileges would he like to have?” To her credit, she managed to say it with only minimal snippiness.

“He loves to build electronic things. Seriously, you can not imagine how smart he is. He fixed our television remote the first night he was there and it’s been working great since. I bought him a few kits to build things, and he did it easily. Maybe another kit? Or being allowed to come spend the night on a school day? I don’t think I would use food, since he’s already kind of weird about it. I don’t want to make him any more fixated on snacks.”

“I’m going to leave you two ladies in charge of putting together some sort of behavior chart for him, and I would like to see you explain it to him before we finish things today. That way we’re all on the same page.”

He turned back to the doctors and teachers, speaking quietly and thanking them for their time. Anita found herself sizing Fairy Godmother up, and knew the other woman was doing the same. At least for the moment, they were on opposite sides, even though they both wanted what was best for him.

She took a piece of paper out of her purse. “What do you want out of him? He’s already going to classes, so that’s something he does well. Do you want him to participate more? Pointing to an answer? Writing it down? Going to the board?”

“Any of the three would be acceptable. I just want him to participate instead of just blocking me out.” 

“Fine.” She quickly jotted a few notes. “Participates in class, one week. Since this is the biggest issue you’re having, it should get him the biggest reward. Special overnight stay.”

“I can agree to that. But he has to do it in every class, and to my satisfaction.” Fairy Godmother twisted her hands. “I can’t get one look or nod and accept that.”

“He participates fully, agreed. What else?” This was her only chance to do this, to help Carlos directly. She couldn’t blow it.

“He needs to leave the notebooks at home, or at least not bring them out in class. They are a distraction and it’s causing problems. I will give him pre-printed notes to work with.”

Personally, Anita thought that the problems were rather one sided, especially since Carlos was keeping up well with his academics, but she could go with it. “Ok, no notebooks. That seems easy enough.”

There were a few more things, mostly little quirks that might have been the result of the neglect and abuse he had endured, or might have just been his natural personality. He sometimes avoided eye contact. He turned selectively deaf when she asked something of him. 

They debated back and forth over what needed to be worked on, and what was unimportant for the moment. They wanted to help Carlos settle in, but not destroy the things that made him himself. 

Once they worked it out, Anita went to the door and called Carlos, hoping that he had remained where she asked him to. He was still sitting there, his hands clasped tightly together. She noticed, though, that while his head was turned away from the door, his ear was towards it. She wondered if he had heard what was being discussed. They hadn’t exactly been quiet.

Fairy Godmother thought that he was hard to read, and maybe he was, but Anita had an advantage that none of the rest of them had: she knew Cruella. A lot of her old friend’s behaviors were repeated in her son. Other then his hands, Carlos’ body appeared to be relaxed. But if she listened, she could hear his teeth clicking together as his jaw chattered. He wasn’t cold or angry. He was afraid and she ached to hold him. “Carlos, can you come back in for a minute?”

As he passed her, she noticed that the bandage from his blood draw was still wound around his elbow. She pointed. “Can I take that off?”

With just that small prompt, he extended his arm again, allowing her to hold it gently while she peeled the bandage off. His body wasn’t exactly relaxed, but it wasn’t stiff either. He stared at what she was doing, as if he still couldn’t believe that she was willing to help instead of hurt him.

The lovely feelings went away quickly, though, the minute he spotted Fairy Godmother. He was instantly on high alert, responding as if she were a threat to him, rather then one of his teachers. His eyes dilated and his jaw chattered harder. Anita put her hand on his back and guided him into the room. “Come on.”

He kept one eye on Fairy Godmother at all times, but he did focus and listen as they explained his new expectations. After each, he nodded to indicate that he understood and accepted what they were saying. Anita could tell that Fairy Godmother was surprised at how smoothly this was going. 

But Anita could see the stress, and the chattering jaw and the blotches that were starting to rise on his neck and arms. This time when she put her hand on his back, he tensed and pulled away. 

Even though she kept telling herself that she would take whatever she could get from him, it still hurt when he pushed her away. But she respected his space and moved back. 

Once they were both sure he understood what they were asking, they were finished. Unless a problem actually cropped up, it would be six months before they had to do this again, thank Goodness. Hopefully by that time there would be dozens of improvements for them all to report on.

But, as it turned out, there was an improvement right away, one she wouldn’t have thought of. As she stepped back, Carlos pointed at her, then himself then made his signal for ‘go’. Was he….”Do you want to go with me? You want to come to my house?”

He nodded, the relief palpable. He preferred her to going back to his room alone. Then he put his hand over his chest, moving it quickly in the sign for ‘please’. 

Anita looked over to make sure Fairy Godmother was getting this. See? He had manners, he had emotions, and he was showing attachment to her. He was completely different then the terrorized little waif that had been all but pushed into the limo on the Island.

“Not tonight. If you behave yourself all week, and listen in class, you can go next week. We just agreed that you’re going to have to start earning privileges, rather then having them handed to you.”

Carlos crossed his arms over his chest and narrowed his eyes at her. For the first time, Anita saw the other side of Cruella in him, the vicious one. If this was the look Fairy Godmother saw every day, her position on his mental state became a little more clear.

“Could I at least take him for a few hours? I’ll have him back by curfew.” She had to walk a fine line between letting Carlos know that she would protect and speak up for him and letting him think that he could play her and Fairy Godmother off of each other.

“It’s late in the day and he’s been able to visit with you already. Jay is going to be here shortly, and you can stay until then, but the school is responsible for Carlos right now and he needs to spend a little more time here.”

The poor kid’s shoulders dropped, and Anita knew that he had given up. She squeezed his shoulder. “Do really well this week, and I’ll plan something special, alright? I’ll sit with you until Jay comes.”

She sat down next to him and tried to engage him in several different conversations, but he just shrugged and turned his head away. He was done, and he just wanted to be left alone. So they sat in silence. She put her hand on her thigh, palm up, just in case he wanted to hold it, but he made no move towards her. 

Anita was acutely aware that they were being watched, and that everything that had just gone down had been observed by the King and his court. She couldn’t really say she cared, though. King Adam was not the one who would be assuming day to day care of Carlos, and he wasn’t going to have to deal with the fall out. Other than in the court of public opinion, he had done his part by just getting Carlos and Mal here. 

They all jumped when Jay strode in without knocking. He was still dressed in his Tourney uniform and was smiling. “Hi, Anita. What’s up, C?”

There was something in his face that gave Anita pause. It was a tender look, one that suggested he adored Carlos in a way that meant more then just a bond between roommates. She wondered if he knew it yet. Judging from his complete lack of eye contact or expression, Carlos certainly didn’t. 

In no way did she think that Carlos was ready to have any sort of boyfriend type relationship. She wasn’t even sure if he could handle non-sexual relationships right now. But at least it was Jay, who she knew wouldn’t do anything to force or take advantage of him. The boy was wild, but he had a gentle heart.

Which was a good thing. That gentle heart was going to be sorely tested with Carlos. It wouldn’t be easy, but nothing worth having ever was. She trailed her hand down Carlos’ arm. “I’ll see you soon, ok? Remember what we talked about and work hard in class.”

He nodded without looking over. The hives on his arms and neck had gone away, but he was now pale, with darkly circled eyes. She wanted to take him home and tuck him into bed for the nap he so desperately needed. But he wasn’t hers. He wasn’t really anyone’s, but for the moment, she had to surrender him to Jay. She forced a smile and stood. “Jay, it’s nice to see you again, and you’ll have to come visit soon. Carlos, hang i there.”

Despite her misgivings, a part of her was hopeful that Jay really did have those gentle feelings for Carlos. Because she was getting a terrible suspicion that he was about to see a side of the other boy that had been hidden thus far, and it wasn’t a pretty side. 

She shook her head. Good luck, Jay.  
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1 down, 1 to go. King Adam could already feel a headache starting behind his eyes. With any luck at all, Carlos would prove to be the more difficult of the pair, and Mal’s report would go more smoothly.

Though there was a certain part of him that couldn’t help but be a little amused over seeing Fairy Godmother get so flustered. Anita had certainly decided that Carlos was hers, and like any good mother, she would fight to the death for her child. 

But like most mothers, she was also a bit blinded to his faults. While he didn’t believe that Carlos was secretly plotting to take over Auradon like Fairy Godmother did, he also didn’t think that the boy was nearly as innocent as Anita seemed to believe. He was probably somewhere in between, neither angel nor demon. Just a kid.

But a kid could be just as dangerous as an adult, maybe even more so because there was less suspicion on them. After all, he had been a nasty little boy himself, not so very long ago. Not evil, but mean enough to easily turn that way had the circumstances been right. 

And for Carlos, the circumstances had been very right. He was the product of a mentally ill, abusive woman, had been raised surrounded by murderers, rapists and theieves, and then torn away from his life and thrown into a new one. All without the benefit of even being able to tell them how he was feeling about it. 

And it was his own fault. Every time Fairy Godmother called him to complain about Carlos, or Mal disrupted a nice dinner in front of guests from other countries, he just had to remember that he could have stopped all of this when they were just a few months old. No matter they put him through, they had been through as much or more.

“Well, that was productive.” His voice came out strong, like he was confident in his abilities. “It’s good to see that Carlos is making progress and settling in. Now, on to Mal.”

Fairy Godmother’s eyes softened. ‘I’ve been seeing very good things from her. Her grades are very good in all of her classes, with the exception of math, and she’ll be receiving tutoring in that area. She participates well in class with me and I think she’s really getting the concept of Remedial Goodness.”

Ok, that was good. That was encouraging. “Do we have her medical findings? She was looking quite healthy at our dinner the other night.”

Word of Mal’s behavior at the dinner had spread quickly through the court, and several people laughed. While he would have been mortified if Evie or Ben had spoken out of turn and treated a guest like that, he had more patience with Mal. She had never been taught proper etiquette for such a situation. And while she would certainly have to be taught proper manners if she wanted to continue to come to such dinners, but he had to admit that it had been rather humorous. He had certainly had fantasies of saying something similar on several occasions. No one ever liked how you ran your country, and they loved to get those subtle little digs in. Mal had stuck up for herself in a way that was forbidden to him.

“I do. She’s looking very good as well. She’s 9 lbs heavier, though she’s not gained any height. As a 16 year old girl, though, she’s probably as tall as she’ll be. Her mother is tiny as well.”

It was a relief to hear that both Carlos and Mal had at least regained physical health. “What about her blood work?”

Looks were exchanged. “Err…we didn’t actually get it. Ms. Mal was quite adamant about not having her blood drawn, and we didn’t want to force her. We still don’t know the extent of what either one of them had been through, and I’m not comfortable using forcible restraint.”

The King could only imagine what sort of protest Mal had put up. “Agreed. There’s no reason to further upset the girl. How is she doing in class? Is she making friends?”

“She just started today, but I think it went well. She’s very eager to learn and seems to be close to grade level. Say what you will about Maleficent, she was a clever woman who valued academics. Evil academics, but academics just the same.” 

“And everyone kept their clothes on and nothing was set on fire. I would call it a win.” The King wasn’t sure who said it, but Fairy Godmother gave them a filthy glare. She was very protective of the girl, which was both a good and bad thing. For as much as she accused Anita of being blind to Carlos’ faults, the King wasn’t sure if she would be able to see Mal’s either.

“And her magic? How is that progressing?” That was his biggest concern. If he had his way, he would have banned magic for the students entirely. It was a dangerous temptation even in the hands of adults should have had the wisdom to know better. Enchanted comas, enormous snow monsters, rulers of countries being enslaved and turning on their own subjects. Humans being turned into animals and even objects. It hadn’t missed his notice that, for the most part, the ones with the magic turned on the ones without it. It was why he had pulled together everything he had to prevent the use of magic on the Island. By the time the villains were gone, there wasn’t much magic left. It would still be taught, but as a theory only. If any of the students wanted to have actual lessons, they had to seek them outside of school from a very limited number of tutors that he had personally vetted and approved. 

It had worked well when it was just a few, but, again, he had failed to think ahead. Placing the villain’s children with loving and good families did not erase their genetics, including their ability to use magic. His own daughter had shown her ability to manipulate the mirrors of the house before she turned 3. 

It troubled him to see Evie asking her mirror for things, or watch Freddie make her clay figures stand and walk, but there was nothing he could do about it. He wouldn’t change one tiny thing about his daughter, even to make both of their lives easier. Because then she wouldn’t be his Evie. 

All he could do was sit back and know that the children were being raised in kindness and love. They were being taught not to take advantage of others, and be helpful and gentle at all times. As far as he could tell, it was working. Except for minor teenaged pranks there had yet to be a major incident. 

But Mal….She had been raised the old way, the villains way. Her mother was one of the most powerful witches that had ever lived, and it was likely that Mal had inherited that power. What were they going to do if Mal progressed to a point where she began to shapeshift? 

But leaving her magic to grow uncontrolled, or, worse, letting her figure it out on her own would lead to disaster. He could only hope that Fairy Godmother’s lessons on goodness were sinking in as quickly as her lessons on magic.

For the first time, Fairy Godmother faltered a bit, and he wondered if she was having the same concerns. “She’s….she’s making quick progress. She’s a very motivated girl, and that motivation is serving her well in all of her schoolwork. She’s a ways away from being able to do anything significant, though.”

Hopefully she was right. “Is she here? Or has she gotten tired of waiting and wandered off?”

“Oh, I’m here all right!” Mal bounced in, and King Adam realized that she had been listening in. And if she had been able to do it, Carlos had as well. Well, that was wonderful.

He stood and pulled out a chair for her. “Welcome, Mal. It’s lovely to see you again.”

She gave him an awkward curtsey. “It’s lovely to see you, as well.”

Evie had taught her that, he was sure of it. And this was the reason that he disagreed with Fairy Godmother on which of them was the more dangerous. Carlos was unreadable, that was true. He had no desire to please them, and didn’t care to interact. Add in his eerie silence, and he presented as someone dangerous. 

But Mal had the ability to blend in in a way Carlos didn’t. Carlos had come in today the same way he had come in when he was in the hospital. Tense, unsmiling, not wanting to be here in the slightest. But Mal smiled, and curtsied and acted like she was having fun. She was suspicious to him specifically because she wasn’t suspicious at all. Or maybe he was getting paranoid in his old age.

“So this is your review. How are things going for you? Is there anything that you need here that you don’t have? “

She folded her hands in her lap. “I don’t think so. I might need some stuff for class, but I’m not sure yet.” She seemed shy and uncertain, very unlike the girl who had come to dinner the other night. Of course, he also didn’t have Evie here for back up, which didn’t help. 

Fairy Godmother spoke up. “If you find you are needing anything, you let me know. I’ll make sure to get it for you.”

“Thank you.” She looked from one person to the next, clearly not sure why she was here. 

“How do you like Auradon? I know it’s a huge change for the two of you.”

“That would be an understatement.” Her voice was sarcastic; a flash of the girl he knew was in there. “But I like it here. I like rooming with Evie and its nice being able to try new things. I’ve never gone to school before, and it was…exciting.” 

“Do you like the food?” He wasn’t sure why he asked that, except that it was the only thing they had managed to get out of Carlos. 

“I love the food. I’ve never had anything like it.” She sounded like any other girl there, the one that she should have been if he had had the sense to take her along with the others.

“What is your favorite?” He expected to hear candy or cookies or even French Fries. All things that his children loved. 

“Strawberries. When we would get apples and oranges and stuff like that, sometimes there were parts of them that were still good. You just had to pick around the rotten parts. But berries never held up. They were always slime by the time they made it to the Island. Now I can have them whenever I want.”

It was a startling reminder of what the Island was. ‘A prison’ he told the people. A place to keep the upstanding citizens of Auradon safe from the villains that had once terrorized them. ‘The solution’, the court referred to it amongst themselves. A way for them to get rid of the problem without too much effort on their own parts. Sure, it was a pain in the ass to set up, but long term, it was cheaper then prisons. Probably even cheaper then the gallows, if he wanted to be morbid. 

Both of those things were true, but the Island was more than that. It was a garbage dump, for both actual garbage and trash of the human variety. The clothing they wore, the food they ate, everything they used to build their homes. All of it the rejects from Auradon. Carlos and Mal thought nothing of eating rotting food, or hoarding it for later, or just taking whatever they wanted. It was how they had survived so far.

And it was his fault. Not his alone, of course. Every member of this court had played a role in creating the Island, which was probably why they were having trouble looking directly at Mal or Carlos. The pair were the living representation of their choices, and the truth hurt sometimes.

“I’ll be sure to provide for strawberries at every meal, then.” It was a small offering, but something he could do. 

Her smile was small and wary. In her mind, there was no way he would just give her something. There had to be something he wanted in return. “Thank you.”

She was growing increasingly uncomfortable with their attention, she he dismissed her with an open ended offer for her to come to another dinner at the palace. He had found that she was sensitive to what she perceived as a slight against her, and he didn’t want her to feel that he was rejecting her or forcing her to leave.

Once he was sure she was gone, he addressed the court again. “Well, where do we go from here? It seems that both Carlos and Mal have become quite healthy, and are moving forward both academically and emotionally.”

“It would be premature to make any claims about their mental states just yet. Neither one of them is fully settled in and comfortable, and they won’t show their true selves until they are. I’ve not yet cracked either child’s shell, and neither one trusts me.”

For a second, he was unsure of who the man was, but then remembered that this was the therapist assigned to work with both children. If anyone would know about their mental states, it would be him. “You feel that they are more disturbed than they are letting on?”

“Possibly. Or possibly not. I don’t want to sound too pessimistic, but I would remain cautious for now. We are looking at a months and years process to overcome their pasts, not a few weeks. We’ve only seen the tip of the iceberg as far as behaviors go, and things are likely to get worse before they get better. They have to test their limits, just like any person does in a new relationship. But I am seeing improvements in both of them. They are both working with me more than before, and they are showing attachment to both their peers and adults. That’s the crucial thing. Without attachment, their social and emotional development will hit a standstill.”

“But you don’t see that with them. There’s still hope.” The King thought of his own children, how young and impressionable they still were. He just couldn’t believe that either Carlos or Mal was hopeless.

“Of course there is. There is always hope, as long as someone is alive. I don’t want to diminish what has been accomplished with these two. I just want to remind you to be cautious, and remember that teenagers are not the easiest creatures on the planet, no matter where they come from.”

The warning rang in his ears as they moved on to discussing the things Mal needed to improve on and how they might get her to do so. Hopefully she would be easy to motivate, because they didn’t really have anything to hold over her head they way the did with Carlos. 

They finished their review, and he thanked and dismissed the rest of the court. But he didn’t leave. He sat at the table alone, and tried to think about what had gone on today. It had been overwhelmingly positive for both children. The difference in the pair was amazing, even if it wasn’t perfect. 

So why did he feel like the other shoe was still waiting to drop?  
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The hit came out of nowhere, and was hard enough to send Jay sprawling to the ground. Coach blew his whistle. “Damn it, Jay, focus! You’re already leaving early and missing out on practice, and if you can’t get your head on straight right now, I’m pulling you from the next game!”

Jay’s face burned. He was the star Tourney player and Coach almost never had to yell at him. He had been benched twice due to injuries, but never due to behavior. “Sorry, Coach.”

“Get back out there. I will tell you when it’s time for you to leave. Until then, your ass is mine. Got it?”

“Yes, Coach!” He rushed back to the field, putting his head close to Chad’s. Chad drew a line in the dirt with his shoe. “I think we should go with this one.”

The other players nodded their agreement and broke up to get in position, but Chad didn’t move. He grabbed Jay’s shoulder. “Get your head in the game. DeVil is fine and you know it.”

“I’m not worried about Carlos.” It sounded fake, even to his own ears. “I know he’s fine.”

“Whatever. You never used to act like this before he came. It’s fine to want to protect him, but Coach is going to kill you.”

“I know. I’m just….he’ll be fine.” Jay slid his helmet back on to block out any further conversation. He couldn’t explain his worry for Carlos to himself, much less anyone else.

It was just that he wasn’t sure Carlos was going to be fine at all. He hadn’t liked the look in his roommate’s eyes when they were walking over to the hospital. It was a little too wild for Jay’s tastes. He looked like Island Carlos, not Auradon Carlos. Usually, Carlos stuck very close to him, but this time he had remained at arms length, focusing on everything but Jay.

Worrying wasn’t going to help now, though. All he could do was focus on what was happening right now, and try to set up and easy evening for them both. No going to the dining hall to be stared at, no homework, no anything that was going to stress them both out further. Bonus points, it was even looking like it might rain later on this evening. Being able to get out and stretch his legs always made Carlos happy.

He did better for the next few plays, but he was still off. Chad did his best to cover, and it was enough to fool Coach for the moment, but that wasn’t going to work for very long. 

Sure enough, the whistle blew again. “Jay! 20 laps around the field, and then get out of my sight! Take a shower before you leave, because you reek of failure.”

When Coach used that tone, there were only two things to do. Yell ‘Yes, Sir!’ while privately dying of humiliation, and run the laps as fast as possible to try and redeem himself.

Despite how often they antagonized and ragged on each other, they were still a team, and the rest of the guys politely turned away. They all knew how much it sucked when you were the only one singled out to run while everyone else played. 

By the time he was done running laps, he was late to go pick up Carlos and didn’t have time for a shower. It irritated the crap out of him, but it was kind of Carlos’ fault that he had gotten in trouble in the first place, so the other boy could just put up with him reeking. 

His anger melted though, as soon as he arrived at the hospital. Carlos and Anita were sitting in the lobby, side by side but not touching. Anita smiled at him, but Carlos didn’t even look over. He was too busy staring into space. “Ready, C?”

Hearing his nickname made Carlos flick his head up and their eyes met. Then Carlos looked away, his eyes skittering back to the ceiling or somewhere near it. It was like the first time they had met, when he had been hiding under the bed. He was just as overwhelmed as he had been that day.

But he still stood up and came with Jay. Anita gave him a sad smile and stepped aside, letting them leave. Jay was getting a sinking feeling that it was going to be an ugly night for both of them. 

On the way back, Carlos strayed even further then he had on the way to the hospital. He paced in circles around Jay, never straying too far, but never getting too close, either. Jay tried to call him closer. “I know I stink, Dude, but it’s not that bad.”

Normally, that would have at least earned him a smile. Carlos was showing more and more that he had a pretty good sense of humor. But now he offered nothing. Jay kept his guard up, afraid that Carlos would bolt at the slightest provocation.

Once they made it back to the dorm, he pointed at the television. “Pick a movie while I’m in the shower.”

Carlos nodded and stepped back, wandering off the area where the movies were kept. He was still doing a lot of staring around at the corners, as if something was going to jump out at him, but at least he was listening. 

Still, something about the way Carlos was acting nagged at him, and he tried to shower as quickly as possible. It wasn’t that easy, though, with his hair as long as it was. He hurried as best as he could, straining to hear what was going on in the other room. As he turned the water of, he heard a thump, like Carlos had knocked something over or fallen. Jay frowned, listening harder. 

The second thump was much louder, more of a crash. “C! What’s going on in there?”

Silence. Shit, he had probably broken his neck or something. Jay threw on his pajamas and opened the door. “Dude, I know you heard me, you could at least knock and…holy shit.” He blinked, as if closing his eyes for a second would undo what he was looking at.

The room was destroyed. Desk tipped over with the drawers pulled out, sheets and blankets off the bed, school supplies scattered everywhere. As he watched in horror, Carlos flipped his entire bed over with one hand.

That bed was heavy. He and Ben had put it together on it side, and it took both of them to get it upright. The fact that Carlos had knocked it over without a second thought was terrifying.

What was equally creepy was the silence he did it in. Not that he expected Carlos to suddenly start speaking, but the level of chaos he was looking at suggested that Carlos would have been screaming if he could. “What the fuck, C?”

Carlos gave no indication that he heard him, or was even aware that Jay had come out of the bathroom. He was bent on his mission of destruction, and he was not going to be turned away so easily.

Jay stepped directly into his path, causing Carlos to slam into him. “Hey, what are you doing?”

Even though his voice was more shocked than anything else, and certainly not angry, Carlos flinched back as if he had been struck. His breathing was harsh and erratic, rattling in his chest, and Jay was surprised to see actual tears. Carlos didn’t look angry, he looked terrified.

Moving slowly so as not to startle him, Jay grasped the other boys forearms, forcing him to be still. Carlos jerked back, but he held firm. If he released Carlos now, he knew the kid was going straight out the door. “Tell me what’s wrong.”

At this point, he knew the entire sign alphabet, as well as a bunch of other gestures. Was he hungry? Thirsty? Tired? Did something hurt? Though he suspected that it was something more then any of that. Carlos never complained. 

He got no response, even when he very gently took Carlos’ hands in his own, unknotting the tight fists and coaxing. “If you’ll tell me, I’ll try to fix it. If you don’t, I can’t.”

Again, Carlos tossed his head and tried to pull away. His eyes met Jay’s for a second, then skittered away. 

It was a losing battle and he knew it. Carlos was in full on panic mode, and wasn’t focusing enough to respond to him. If he wanted to figure this out, he was going to have to be proactive. 

The first thing he did was grab the whiteboard off of the floor where it had either fallen or been thrown. He shoved it at Carlos. “If you think of something, write it down.”

Carlos held it loosely, but didn’t even look down. Jay had never in his life seen someone so scared. He didn’t even think Carlos realized he was crying. How could things have gone so wrong in the 10 minutes he was in the shower?

Every since he had arrived, Carlos had taken great pains to keep his things nice and tidy. His side of the room was always spotless and he was very careful with everything to prevent it from breaking or being damaged in any way. So this willful destruction pointed at a complete and utter panic.

But it was only on his side of the room. Jay hadn’t noticed at first, since his side always had stuff scattered around, but nothing over there had been touched. But Carlos’ own side was a disaster. 

Why? He might have said it was a tantrum, but the huge eyes and shuddering breaths behind him didn’t say anger. He looked around the room, noticing again that every drawer was open, every piece furniture tipped. Was he looking for something?

As soon as he had the though, he knew exactly what the problem was. Carlos had exactly one possession that he was so attached to, and it wasn’t anything he had arrived with. He turned back around and forced eye contact. “Are you looking for your blanket? The one Evie gave you?”

He knew he was right the minute he spoke. Carlos didn’t relax, and his breathing didn’t change, but the wild animal look started to fade out of his eyes. Ok, good, Jay was reaching him. “I’m sure it’s in the wash. Remember, it’s laundry day? They probably took it to wash it, and will bring it back tomorrow.”

Even though the laundry was taken every week, housekeeping was usually very good about leaving personal items, such as plush toys or special blankets behind. The blanket must have been tangled up with bedding.

If anything, Carlos breathed harder. He was starting to sound like Doug got right before he had a panic attack. Fuck, ok, he could still fix this. “Or not. Do you want me to call Evie and see if she can go down to the laundry and get it for you?” There was no way he was leaving Carlos alone in here long enough to go there himself. 

Carlos nodded, swallowing hard. “Cool. I’m going to do that right now.” He grabbed his cell phone and dialed. Please, Evie, please pick up. 

She didn’t. Shit. “Ok, don’t freak out. I’m just going to try someone else.” He dialed again, and this time he got an answer. “Hey, what’s up?”

“Chad! Hey, I need a huge favor. We accidentally sent a blanket down to laundry that we need back. Do you think you could grab it for us? Its black and white checkered with some red splashes. Big.”

“Dude, I’m not even dressed! Is it an emergency?” Chad wasn’t happy.

Jay looked around at the destroyed dorm room. “Yes.”

“Fine, but you owe me. I know they set the two of you up with a new X-box, and I want it.” He hung up before Jay could respond. 

That was fine. Jay would do anything if Chad would just get that blanket. “Alright. Chad is going to go down there and get the blanket, and we’ll get this fixed. Go take a shower, get cooled down, and let’s go from there.” That would put an extra door between Carlos and the outside.

If he didn’t get Carlos calm and focused, he was going to have to call for help, and that was the last thing he wanted to do. Jay wasn’t stupid. He knew that they were having meetings about Mal and Carlos because they were worried about both him and Mal’s mental states. Jay wasn’t going to be the one to give them proof.

For a few seconds he though that Carlos might try and fight him on it, but it seemed that the fight had gone out of the other boy for the moment. He just nodded and turned away.

All of his clothing was scattered around on the floor, but Jay was able to find a top and bottom that went together. He wouldn’t have personally cared, but matching was very important to Carlos. This was a pair that Anita had bought him. Black bottoms and a white jersey type top with red sleeves. There was a picture of a badger on the chest. He pressed them into Carlos’ hands. “Go. I’ll be right here.”

After a few seconds deliberation, Carlos went. Jay waited until the bathroom door clicked shut to release a shuddering breath. He didn’t want to show any weakness in front of Carlos, but that had been terrifying. The other boy had just proved that he was both faster and stronger than Jay had thought. If Carlos had turned on him instead of the room….slowly he sank down to the floor, his legs suddenly too wobbly to hold him. 

But Carlos hadn’t turned on him. He hadn’t even touched Jay’s stuff. Even though he had learned from the time he was a baby that he was supposed to hurt other people, he hadn’t. Mal turned her rage outwards towards other people, Carlos turned in into himself.

His phone beeped, pulling him out of his musings. Chad had sent him a picture of the blanket. THIS IT?

Thank Goodness, it looked clean and dry. Jay texted back the affirmative. Chad would be here in a few minutes, and he thought that maybe he should try and pick up the worst of the mess, but what was the point? Unless he suddenly developed the ability to get the woodland creatures to come in and help, there was nothing he could do to hide this. Hey, maybe Chad could do it. His mother was the original at singing with the wildlife.

He was still sitting there when the knock sounded at the door. The water was still running in the bathroom, so Carlos would be occupied for a while. He sighed and got up. 

Chad didn’t look very happy, but he did have the blanket. “Really, Jay? You couldn’t have waited until tomorrow for it? Or at least gotten it yourself?”

“No, really couldn’t. It was kind of an emergency and I really, really appreciate you doing it.”

“Yeah, well, I’m going to assume it’s not your blankie, since….oh, crap.” He had looked past Jay and seen the state of the room. “Did he do that?”

“No, Chad. I just looked around and decided to ruin all of his stuff. Of course he fucking did it. I think he got freaked out when he couldn’t find the blanket.” 

That was the problem with Carlos. He thought that the issue was the blanket, but he wasn’t sure. It still could have been hunger, or illness, or a desperate need for the bathroom. Even when Carlos told him what it was, he had to wonder if that was the truth. Without speech, their communication was so limited. 

Chad winced. “Ouch. At least it doesn’t look like anything is actually broken, just tossed around. He is still here, right? He didn’t bolt?”

Jay hadn’t even considered Carlos running. “No, he’s taking a shower. I didn’t know what else to do with him.”

“Do you want me to help pick up in here, or do you think me being here would just freak him out more?”

Oh, like he was actually going to help. Chad Charming’s idea of ‘help’ cleaning was basically shoving everything under the bed and into drawers. Carlos would freak out even worse if the room was cleaned half assed. He got trigged by a lot of things, but cleaning was one of his top issues. If it wasn’t spotless, he got upset. But Jay had to admit that he appreciated the offer. “He’ll probably get weirded out. But thanks for helping out.”

“Yeah, uh, well, let me know if you need anything else.” The water in the bathroom shut off, and Chad made his escape. 

It was still a further few minutes before Carlos emerged, wearing his pajamas and creeping out. He was obviously calmer, but also way more nervous. He thought he was in trouble, and trouble meant pain.

No, Carlos hadn’t told him that. Carlos didn’t tell him anything about his life before Auradon. But Jay knew. He had seen the bruises. Carlos took care to always wear long sleeves and dress and undress in private, but he was constantly on the move. His sleeves would fall back, or his shirt push up a little as he twisted and climbed, revealing the bruises underneath. He couldn’t cover the marks on his neck of collarbones. 

He stopped in the doorway, surveying the damage. Jay spoke up. “Yeah, it’s kind of crazy.” When Carlos looked over, Jay held up the blanket. “See, I told you I could get it back.”

Despite his obvious misgivings about Jay’s temper, Carlos came over immediately and took the blanket out of Jay’s hands. He relaxed a bit once he had it back, snuggling it to his chest.

Jay knew that Carlos wasn’t going to like what he was about to do, so he didn’t ask or give any warning. He just reached out and gently grabbed Carlos around the rib cage, picking him up and setting him on his bed. The kid was small, but surprisingly solid. 

As he had suspected, Carlos stiffened immediately, but it was over before he could do anything about it. Jay picked the abandoned whiteboard up and sat next to him. “Rough day, huh?”

Carlos didn’t look up, and Jay thought for a second that he wouldn’t respond at all. Then he picked up the marker and, in a messy scrawl that was completely unlike his usually careful penmanship, wrote a few words, pushing the board back to Jay. 

I WANT TO GO HOME.

There wasn’t even a second where Jay thought he meant anything other than wanting to go back to the Island. Carlos didn’t even seem that upset any longer. Just tired and resigned to whatever punishment was about to be doled out.

It was like he had been punched in the gut. Why would anyone want to go back to the Island? Here he had enough food, and a safe place to sleep, and no one to hurt him. But now wasn’t the time to bring that up. He didn’t want to make this night even worse. “I know. But do you understand why you can’t?”

Carlos nodded. BECAUSE THEY WILL KILL ME

Was that really true? Had coming to Auradon put a target on his back? “Yeah, because of that. We want to fix things for you, if you’ll let us.”

YOU CAN”T. 

“We can try. If we work together, we can probably come up with something, right? I mean, come on, we’re awesome!” 

That earned him a tiny little smile. “You be the smarts, I’ll be the muscle, and together, we’ll be unstoppable. Right? So, I vote we just take a few minutes, chill out, and come up with a plan. Tomorrow will be different.”

He laid back on the floor and put his arm behind his head. “Just chill. Close your eyes for a little bit. We’ll both take a quick nap, and it’ll be better. We’ll order a pizza and watch a movie, and we don’t have to talk about it any more. Ok?”

No response, of course but Carlos laid down and watched him closely. As much as Jay hated to see the other boy afraid, he did wonder if he couldn’t use this to his advantage. Now that he was no longer panicked, nerves would hopefully make Carlos compliant with him. He just needed a few minutes to either make this work or figure out a new plan. 

He forced himself to count to 600. 10 minutes, that should be enough. Sure enough, when he opened his eyes, Carlos was very still, with the blanket across his face. Either he was asleep or faking it very, very well. 

Evie said that Mal sometimes had nightmares, but Carlos didn’t seem to. He was never restless, never woke up in the middle of the night for the bathroom or to get drinks. He laid down and either woke naturally or startled awake when the alarm went off. 

Jay stood and looked over at the mess across the room. If he cleaned it up a little, Carlos might feel better. All of the drawers were out of the desk, the contents scattered. Carefully, he picked up the pens and pencils, the scissors and spare notebooks, returning them to their proper places. Clothes in a pile on the floor to be sent to laundry tomorrow. He would have worn them wrinkled (and really, they weren’t that bad), but Carlos would flip. Well, he’d flip out again.

It wasn’t until he was retrieving a drawer that had actually been launched under the bed that he ran into trouble. The drawer was stuffed with food. And not just a few candy bars like Jay had under his Tourney jerseys. This was old sandwiches that had mold in places, rotting fruit, stale chips and bread. How long had he been hiding some of this stuff?

Evie had complained a few days ago that there was a funky smell in their room and that they both needed to shower more often. Jay had rolled his eyes, but what she had been smelling was probably those old sandwiches. 

What was he supposed to do about this? He couldn’t let Carlos keep the food. Beyond that fact that it was disgusting, eating some of this crap was going to make him sick. How long had that piece of cheese been sitting there, out of the fridge? 

But he didn’t want to take it, either. Carlos obviously feared that happening, or he wouldn’t have hidden it in the first place. Taking the food away wasn’t going to chance the fear that had lead to Carlos hiding it in the first place, and it definitely wasn’t going to prevent him from picking a new hiding spot. All he was going to do was make things worse. 

It wasn’t that Jay was even angry about it. Carlos wasn’t doing any of this to be mean, or out of temper, or because he enjoyed being gross. He was doing it because he had spent his life learning that this was the only way he was going to survive. Soon they would get tired of feeding him, or he would be punished and not allowed to eat, or the food would just run out. No one else would feed him, so Carlos had to take steps to ensure he would be able to feed himself. Jay was sad that Carlos didn’t trust them yet, but that was nothing to be angry about. The trust would come in time.

After all, isn’t that what he had just told Carlos? That tomorrow would be better?

He looked over the room again. It had to be better, because it couldn’t get much worse.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Someone just blew it, didn't they?


	15. Chapter 15

The Risk I Took Was Caclulated, but Man am I Bad at Math

 

“How about both of you knock it off? Put some smiles on your faces, I don’t care how fake they look, and get along for five minutes. Because people are staring at us.” Evie was already regretting agreeing to take both of them to class. Normally they each took their own roommate, but today would be Carlos’ first day of class with Evie, so she had him. Jay might have taken Mal, but he was pissed with her at the moment. Apparently, she had picked his pocket the other day and taken his wallet. 

Though Evie’s first instinct had been to deny that Mal could have done it, she also had to admit that Jay wasn’t the type to just misplace his stuff. He had to have had his wallet to pay for lunch, and it had been missing when he got back to the room. When she asked Mal about it, the other girl had immediately retrieved the wallet from her desk. Nothing was missing, and Mal was completely unrepentant. When asked why she had taken it, she had shrugged and said that it was because she could.

Now there were on either side of her, picking at each other. Carlos had suddenly come out of his shell, and was starting to push back against things he didn’t like. He had always fought with Mal, and she had heard that he liked to pick fights with Fairy Godmother, but now he was getting stubborn with her and Jay. 

The day last week, when he had destroyed his and Jay’s dorm room over his blanket, had been a turning point, and more and more of his personality was coming out. His eye contact was better, he sat closer and showed more interest in interacting with everyone. She wasn’t sure what had changed, but she liked it.

Sure enough, when she looked over at him, he cocked his head and gave her the most horrendous grin she had ever seen. It looked like a death rictus and it made her laugh. He laughed, too, except there was no sound. She wished he would say something, even if it was just a whisper and just to her. 

She was just going to have to be happy with what he was doing and quit wishing for things that she couldn’t make happen. “Cute. That’s a real cute face and it’s going to make you stunningly popular with the girls.”

He seemed to think and repeated the gesture, this time making it look even worse. The message was pretty clear: he was not interested in being popular with the girls. She suspected that he wasn’t interested in being popular with anyone.

Really, Carlos wasn’t that difficult to understand. You just had to take a little time and let him warm up to you. Jay did it, and Anita did it and Roger did it and he had no problems with any of them. Even Mal seemed to get it, though she would much rather pretend she had no idea what he wanted or needed.

They dropped Mal off first for her math class. Evie still worried a bit, but things seemed to be going well. Nothing had been lit on fire, and she hadn’t heard that Mal had made anyone cry. Yet.

Carlos didn’t seem nervous as he clung to her side. Well, fine, he didn’t seem extra nervous. He was always nervous and hyper-aware of his surroundings, even in the dorm room. When he was outside, it was worse. 

Mal was the same way, though to a lesser degree. They had both learned to watch their backs if they wanted to survive. 

“Are you ready for this?” She threaded her arrm through his, making him jump. He still wasn’t used to being touched. But he allowed it. “You’re going to have a good time.”

She had already let everyone else know that today would be Carlos’ first day today, and to please just ignore him and let him join in on his own. The class was small, which should help. “You can sit next to me, and I’ll help you if you need it.”

He nodded, taking a deep breath. She pushed the door open and nudged him inside. 

The class fell silent, all staring at Carlos. While they had seen him in the cafeteria, on the rare occasions when he left the dorms, this was their first close-up view. 

And she had to admit, Carlos was interesting looking. His skin was just a few shades darker then to be expected, contrasting with his freckles and eyes. Then there was his hair. She realized that it was starting to get longer, but the ratio of black to white seemed to stay the same. For the millionth time, she wondered who his father was. He must have been a white man, but which one? Did he know he had a son? Did he care? Did Carlos know who he was?

“Attention children! I know we have a new student today, but you all have work to be completed. This is not the time for fraternizing!” The voice was squeaky, aided in reaching the corners of the room by the microphone on the desk.

Carlos perked up, looking curiously around, as he hadn’t been able to see the teacher when he entered. He finally spotted the teacher standing on the desk, his small paws resting against the microphone. “Welcome Carlos deVil. I’m Professor Gustov, but you may call me Gus. Come on, come on, come to my desk so I can get you started out. Thank you, Evie, you may go to your work. The rest of you, hop to it!”

Evie was willing to bet that the schools on the Isle of the Lost didn’t have mice for teachers. Carlos walked forward and put both hands on the desk, leaning forward so that he could hear better. Surprise made him more compliant and less fearful than usual.

She had worked extra hard over the past week so she would be able to take the time out to get Carlos started. She had practiced with him in the dorm, showing him how to use the machine and explaining the different types of stitches to him. He knew what to do, but not the correct names.

Having that special time with him was helping in more ways then one. Carlos was definitely getting attached to her, and he was more communicative when they were working together. If he didn’t have to look at her, it seemed easier for him. For the first time, she had felt comfortable asking him some questions about her mother. 

“My Mom helped take care of you, right? When you were a baby?”

He nodded, apparently absorbed in what he was doing. But she saw the slight movement in his eyes that told her he was listening.

“Was she nice to you?”

Another nod.

“Nicer then your Mom was to you?”

Nod. 

“Did she ever talk about me?” 

He raised his eyes up to look at her and nodded again, this time a little more forcefully. Her heart jumped. Her other mother did think about her, even though she hadn’t seen her since she was a baby. 

“Do you think she would want to see me if it was possible?” She was already anticipating his yes, and he didn’t disappoint her. 

She had stopped there. She didn’t want to push Carlos too much, and he had already told her the most important thing, anyway. Grimhilde loved her, and she was important to both of her mothers. She still wanted to know more, though. Everything. 

Carlos finished with Gus and came back to their table. He had never used this particular sewing machine before, but he was quite adept with mechanical things and had no trouble figuring it out. 

Evie had to give Carlos credit. Though no one was actually approaching him, she could feel the heavy weight of their stares on her back, and he must as well. But he ignored them. When he was busy with something, he was able to block the world out. He hummed quietly and tunelessly, more like static then a song. 

Since it was his first day, Carlos was just sewing a simple pillowcase, giving Gus an idea of what he could do and at what speed. Evie could have told him not to worry. Everything Carlos did was quick and precise. 

He didn’t acknowledge her as he worked, but he was aware of her. He left her enough space to work and that was it. But he was relaxed. She didn’t try and talk to him, since she knew he wouldn’t answer, but she did make sure to stay close.

He was finished long before class was over. Every stitch was perfect, every seam straight, not a hint of bunching or the slightest mark on the case. “It looks great. Why don’t you go show it to Gus?”

He looked over it again, checking for even the smallest imperfection. Things always had to be perfect with him. The room had to be perfectly cleaned each night, all of his things arranged as if he hadn’t been there at all. Food was neatly arranged before he would take a bite. Clothes were perfectly folded and never allowed to be wrinkled or stained. He never left the dorm room without having showered and fixed his hair. 

What he saw must have passed inspection, because he stood up and brought the pillowcase to the front of the classroom. Every head in the class raised up to watch him. From this distance, Evie couldn’t hear what Gus was saying, but she could see Carlos, and saw the way he ducked his head and smiled shyly. That was how he always responded to praise. 

He returned to her and sat down, resting his hands on the desk. “Do you want to work on your stuff or give me a hand?”

Ben had kept to his promise to listen around the castle, and he had managed to overhear most of a conversation about Carlos and his power struggle with Fairy Godmother. Their father had seemed almost amused by it, disbelieving that a 16-year-old kid who didn’t even speak had gotten under her skin so badly. After 20 years of teaching teenagers, Carlos was getting the best of her. 

So, she knew that he was in trouble for working on his notebooks and not paying attention in Remedial Goodness. Carlos liked to keep busy at all times, and if he wasn’t interested in what was happening around him, he worked on his own stuff. He hadn’t shown them to her the first time she asked, but he did the second. He just needed a little time to decide to trust her, that was all.

Not that she really understood what she was looking at. They were some sort of blueprints, that much was obvious, but she had no idea what sort of blue prints they might be. Carlos either lacked the vocabulary or will to explain them, so they were a mystery for right now. She knew he was smart, and Jay talked about how he built things all the time, so there was no reason to think he wasn’t actually making the things he was sketching out.

To her surprise, he gestured that he would help her. More and more, he was showing interest in people over objects. “Awesome. Do you think you can measure and cut some of the blue for me? Measurements are in my sketchbook, and be careful because the material has a lot more stretch than it looks like it will.”

He nodded and got to work. Normally, they were all expected to do their own work, but everyone had been briefed on the special situation that Carlos and Mal represented, and some of the rules had been relaxed. Everyone knew that Evie was an amazing designer and seamstress, and that she was more than capable of doing her own work. 

The classroom buzzed with noise, but their workstation was quiet. Evie had been a chatterbox her entire life, but even she eventually ran out of things to say when she was carrying both halves of the conversation. Carlos was comfortable in silence, and she had to learn to be as well.

Since things were going so well, she looked around the room for a safe person. Lonnie, Ally, Freddie, those were all good choices. Girls who were non-aggressive and non-threatening. Ally met her eyes, and Evie gave her head a quick jerk, indicating she should come over. 

Carlos was aware of Ally before she got within 8 feet of him, stopping what he was doing and studying her without expression. Like her mother before her, though, Ally was not easily intimidated. “Ally, this is Carlos. Carlos, this is my friend Ally.”

He looked curiously at her, then back to Evie before tentatively extending his hand. That was new. She didn’t think that anyone had actually taught him to do that, but it worked. If he shook hands with everyone he met, he knew exactly what to do, and it seemed to take some of his anxiety out of it. 

Ally shook his hand. “Hi. It’s nice to meet you.”

He nodded at her, indicating that he was pleased to meet her as well. While Evie doubted that he was actually feeling that way, at least he was being polite and trying. “Halloween is close, are you going to make your costume in class?”

Carlos gave the other a bewildered look. Either he didn’t understand what Halloween was, or he had never made a costume. Ally tried to help him out. “Do you celebrate Halloween on the Island?”

He nodded and smiled a little bit. Clearly, he had enjoyed himself. “Do you dress up in costumes?”

This time he shook his head. Evie had a suspicion that Halloween on the Island was more ‘trick’ and less ‘treat’. Burt Ally moved on quickly, not dwelling on the negative. “We do here. Evie can help you sketch some ideas if you need them. You can go as anything. A person, an animal, an object. Lonnie went as a cactus one year. You could go as something scary or funny or beautiful. It’s so much fun to work on them in class and help each other out.”

Evie could tell that Carlos was interested. “I can show you some pictures from last years if you need some ideas.”

“Ally, you are supposed to be working and not socializing. Please return to your seat.” Gus had apparently noticed that his students were wandering. 

“Ok! It was nice to meet you, Carlos! You’re in my dorm, you and Jay should come hang out with us sometime!”

To Evie’s surprise, Carlos nodded. Gradually, he was learning to be social.

Once she was gone, Carlos turned to Evie and gave her and expectant look. Even without words, she knew that he was asking about Halloween, and what he could expect. “You’ll love it. And there is so much candy. You could seriously eat chocolate until you puke and just keep going. Huge bowls of it everywhere. A fountain made out of chocolate that you can dip things in.”

His eyes widened at the thought of mountains of candy. “The four of us could even make some group costumes. We’ll work on it later tonight, ok?”

He nodded and picked up the material again, going back to work. He was almost finished with his sewing when the bell rang. Evie put it aside. “Thanks for helping me out. Ready for Remedial Goodness?”

Carlos rolled his eyes. He might have to go to class, and he might have to pay attention, but he didn’t have to like it. He had to do it, though. Ben had been clear that Fairy Godmother and their father were all but blackmailing him into good behavior in class. If he wanted the things he liked, like being able to visit with Anita and Roger, he was going to have to do what was asked. LIKE AN ANIMAL, he had written her in disgust.

But he was doing it. Sulkily, and making it very clear that he wasn’t happy about any of it, but she supposed that that didn’t matter. 

Mal was waiting for them outside her classroom. She was full of smiles, which probably meant that Fairy Godmother would be hearing some complaints about what had happened in class today. Mal was never happier then when she was creating chaos. “How did it go?”

“Good. I’m really starting to enjoy it here. My new classmates are so…. fun.” Her smirk grew and Evie started to feel very afraid. 

“You know, your classroom is all the way across the school. Carlos and I can walk to class all by ourselves. Can’t we Carlos?” 

He gave her his usual blank look, but nodded. Even though he didn’t seem bothered, Evie didn’t like the idea.

“I don’t know. You know that I’m supposed to walk you guys back and forth so you don’t get lost.” Or decide to get into a brawl. Or skip class. Or do any number of other things that she could think of, each more horrifying than the last.

“We’ve been going to Remedial Goodness for weeks now. We aren’t going to get lost, and we aren’t going to fight or misbehave. How do you expect us to show we can be trusted if you won’t trust us?”

“Considering that both of you have been caught stealing in the past week, I wouldn’t say that you’ve earned any trust.” Oh, Jay had told her all about Carlos’ food graveyard. Some it had been leftovers, but some of it had been stolen.

“I was going to give that back the next time I saw him. And what did he take?” Mal pointed at Carlos, who was shooting Evie a dirty look. She wasn’t sure if he was pissed that Jay had told on him, or that Evie had brought it up in front of Mal.

“Don’t worry about it. The fact remains that you’ve both- “She was cut off by the sound of the warning bell. Now there was no way for her to get all of them to class on time unless she let them go on their own. Mal had done it on purpose. “Fine. Just go and I’ll see you both after class.”

She watched as they walked off, side by side, but with plenty of space in between them. Hopefully this wouldn’t end in bloodshed.

&&&&&&

Mal was going to have to move fast. Really fast, because she didn’t know when she would get a chance like this again. Carlos knew something was up, and was giving her his patented death glare. She gave it right back. “Ready to go in there and perform like a seal?” She clapped her hands and barked.

His eyes darkened and she knew that she had him. “I wish they couldn’t do that to us. We should be the ones in charge. All they’ve done is fuck everything up. Abandoning us to die on the Island. Leaving us to be abused and assaulted. And now? Turning us into dancing bears and trotting us out for visiting dignitaries so they can look oh so fucking generous? Disgusting. You haven’t had your turn for it yet, but believe me, it’s coming.”

To the average observer, he would seem unaffected. His face didn’t change, and he certainly didn’t make a sound. But something flashed in his eyes and was gone almost before she saw it. He didn’t like that thought.

Now she had to tread carefully. She wanted to avenge her mother, and that was motivation enough for her. Carlos absolutely did not give a shit about avenging Cruella’s honor, or even doing anything to make her life easier. She would have to find a different motivation for him.

“We aren’t safe here, you know. Sure, right now we’re ok, since we’re still new and shiny, but what do you think is going to happen once they realize we’ll never be like their own kids? We’ll be out on our asses. And don’t think they’ll leave us here to remind them of their failure.”

Carlos shrugged and hitched his backpack higher onto his shoulder. It may have looked like she was losing him, but Mal knew better. He was paying attention.

“Think about it. We’re not like them, and you know that as well as I do. We’re more. Why are we being forced to bow before them, when we could be the ones in charge? No more going to these ridiculous classes. No more Fairy Godmother telling you what to do and dangling rewards in front of you like you’re some little performing dog. Why don’t you have the same rights as everyone else here? I’ll bet they let Jay go see his family whenever he wants to. Why don’t you get the same courtesy? Because we’ll always be less to them, no matter what they claim.”

She was taking a huge risk here. Carlos might not speak, but he was more than capable of tattling on her if he felt like it. There was no loyalty between them, and it would be a simple matter for him to write out what she was saying. 

Whether or not he would be believable was another matter. . If he tried to go to Fairy Godmother, there was no way she would believe him. Mal had definitely moved into favored status, and she had Fairy Godmother wrapped around her little finger. When it was time for her to actually take the wand, the woman wasn’t going to know what hit her. But she didn’t think Carlos would try to go to her. He knew that she didn’t like or trust him. 

But he had people who did. He could snitch to Anita. Shit, he might even talk to her when there was no one else around. The more she spent time around him, the more convinced she became that he was deliberately fucking with all of them. He could talk. She wasn’t sure what he was getting out of not doing so, but it had to be something. Anita would believe anything he said. She was smitten with Carlos, though evil only knew why. And, by the way, she wasn’t the slightest bit jealous over that. She was Fairy Godmother’s favorite, she didn’t need to be anyone else’s. The woman was a direct line to the wand and the only person who mattered. Just because Fairy Godmother had to deal with them and Anita had specifically picked Carlos out, that didn’t mean she was jealous. 

Even worse than Anita, though, was the fact that Carlos might tell Jay. Jay would believe anything that his little boyfriend told him. And then he would tell Evie. Mal wasn’t sure how it would go from there. Evie would probably believe her over Carlos, but she didn’t know if the other girl would believe her over both of the boys. Probably not. Would she tell her father? Fairy Godmother? Maleficent hadn’t waited 16 years only to see Mal fail within the first two months. 

She had to take the chance, though. Carlos had skills that she needed if she was going to have even the smallest chance of getting that wand. He had an amazing memory and an uncanny ability to find his way around, which she would need once she had the wand. Her magic was progressing, but even the strongest magic user had limits on what they could do. She needed to get up against the barrier if she had any hope of breaking it by herself, and she needed to do it with the citizens of Auradon at her back. Carlos had broken the barrier once, and he had to know how to do it again.

They were at the classroom now, but she blocked him from coming inside. “We’re the ones who know how to survive. The ones who are strong, and the ones who should be taking over. They’re spoiled and soft now, not able to do what needs to be done.”

He cocked his head, staring deep into her eyes. He very rarely made eye contact with her or anyone else, and never this close. From this distance, she could see the black and gold specks in his irises. 

Mal pulled out her last weapon. “Think about Evie.” She knew that Carlos adored Evie, just like Mal herself did. “Think about how amazing she is. She’s the reason that we’re out of that hospital. She came to see us, and brought Jay, so she helped both of us out when she didn’t need to. She had to stand up to her father and tell him off just t be allowed to do that. She’s done more for both of us than her father ever did. She’s the one who should be ruling one day, not her brother. We can do this for her.”

“Hurry up, children! We don’t have time for dawdling.” Fairy Godmother clapped her hands. “We have a lot to cover today.”

Carlos turned away from her and went to his new seat at the front of the class. He didn’t further acknowledge Mal, but she knew that he was thinking things over and making his decisions. The fact that he hadn’t outright refused to help her was a good sign. Of course, she hadn’t actually asked him for anything, either. But that was ok. She was just planting the seed in his mind. If he showed signs that he was receptive, she would move forward. If not…. well, she would just have to figure out how to convince him. You could make anyone do anything if you were willing to push them hard enough.

Fairy Godmother passed out notes for both of them. Originally, they had been just for Carlos, but Mal had demanded some for herself as well. Not because she wanted them, since her own notes were better, but because she didn’t want Carlos to have anything that she didn’t. Since the notes were preprinted, the two of them were only allowed a pen or pencil on their desk and nothing else. It was supposed to keep Carlos focused and from doing other things when he was supposed to be working. Like that was going to work. They almost never go things like fresh paper on the Island, so they were used to just keeping ideas and notes in their heads. Carlos was paying no more attention to Fairy Godmother than he ever had, but he was certainly getting better at faking it. 

Today’s lesson was on chivalry and how a lady should be treated. Mal was pretty sure her eyes were going to roll right out of her head. She was most decidedly not a lady. And even if she was, so what? She was as strong, as smart, and as capable as any boy in the world. More capable than a lot of them. She wasn’t frail, weak or helpless. What sort of morons were they here in Auradon?

Oh, right, she remembered what sort of morons. The sort that allowed themselves to be sold by their fathers, like Jasmine or Belle. The sort that gave up everything that made them special, like Ariel, and couldn’t even abide by the contract they had signed. 

The sort that ran away from home and ran right into being a domestic slave to a bunch of dwarves, like Snow White. The kind that had the full attention of her Prince, but took off on him, leaving him to chase her down, like Cinderella. Mal wondered what sort of creepy foot fetish shit went down in that bedroom. 

The kind that pricked her finger on a spinning wheel and had to lie there like a corpse until some necrophiliac came around to make out with her lifeless body. She wasn’t sure how that went down in history as a love story. That sort of crap didn’t even fly on the Island, where the sexual norms were a little…. looser than those here in Auradon. 

She seethed while Fairy Godmother drilled Carlos on the proper way to treat a lady. “Remember, they are the fairer sex. You must always conduct yourself as a prince might. Tender, loving, and always putting their needs and desires above your own.”

Judging from the look on his face, Carlos was just as confused as she was. He picked up the whiteboard and quickly wrote on it. WHY?

Fairy Godmother faltered and Mal had to suppress a snicker. That woman had wanted Carlos to participate in class, and now she was getting exactly what she had wanted. Carful what you wish for. “What do you mean, why? Because women deserve to be treated with respect.”

BECAUSE THEY ARE WEAK

Mal wasn’t sure if he meant it as a question or statement, and she didn’t think Fairy Godmother knew either. “No, women are not weak. Girls are just as capable as boys are.”

BUT WE HAVE TO PROTECT THEM. THEY WOULD PROTECT THEMSELVES IF THEY WERE CAPABLE

“No, no, that’s not what I’m saying at all.” She was getting flustered and Mal could see Carlos getting more and more interested. He had found yet another way to get under her skin. “In the older days, when much of Auradon’s history was set women were expected to be soft and feminine at all times. They didn’t learn the skills needed to take care of themselves, because it was just assumed that they would always have a man to do it for them. These days, we teach our girls to be self-sufficient, just like we do our boys, but a gentleman should still treat a woman as if she is as fragile as a dove. It’s a call back to the old days.”

That made exactly zero sense to Mal, and she didn’t think Carlos got it, either. But she saw an opportunity to kill two birds with one stone. She could make herself look good to Fairy Godmother, and help Carlos out at the same time. They both had to see her as someone to be trusted. “That changed with Merida and Mulan. They were the first women to push for equality.”

“Wonderful, Mal! I see you’ve been paying attention in class. Carlos, do you understand why we treat ladies as we do? While they are every bit as clever and capable, they are not as physically strong, which is why it falls to men to protect them. You are not reaching the age where that physical difference becomes much more obvious.”

Carlos nodded at her, his expression blank. He still didn’t get it, and Mal couldn’t blame him. Right now, Carlos was a fraction of an inch taller that she was. He was much smaller than Jay, who really wasn’t that tall. He was strong for his size, Mal knew that. But strength came in many forms, and physical was only one of them. Without a weapon, he had a slight edge over her. But with his intelligence and ability to build very dangerous things, he had an edge that had nothing to do with how hard he could throw a punch. Now that she had her magic, it was again a toss-up. 

All of those things mattered, because a good fighter knew to use every tool at their disposal. Fair play didn’t factor into it. But Fairy Godmother seemed focused on the idea of the gentlemanly duel, which meant nothing to Carlos. He had survived by fighting quick and fighting dirty. They both had.

“I like that you’re participating in class though, and bringing in your ideas. It makes things easier for both of us when we communicate.” 

He again and gave her a small smile. Fairy Godmother loved it, but Mal knew better. Carlos smiling was never a good thing. It was more like seeing an animal bare its teeth than an expression of happiness. 

Fairy Godmother moved on, talking about getting drinks and holding doors and all kinds of things that seemed completely unrealistic to Mal. Any boy she chose should do all of those things for her, of course, since she was the daughter of Maleficent and expected nothing less, but that wasn’t the point. Doing it because they feared her and her mother was acceptable. Doing it because she lacked a penis and was something to be coddled and pitied was not.

“Since we’ve been doing so well, I wanted to try something new. I want the two of you to work together on your assignment, instead of separately. I’ll remain up front in case you have questions or issues.”

Diablo was smiling on Mal once again. She knew that she and Carlos were both more than capable of doing the work very quickly. But she would have another chance to speak to him about what she was planning.

Their assignment was very simple, much easier than what they had been doing before. Mal knew it was to minimize their chances to fight over anything. Without being asked, she stood up and moved over to sit at the same desk as Carlos. He tensed up, his head turning away so he could study her out of the corner of his eye, but he didn’t move away. “Let’s get this done.” She kept her voice very soft, as to not alert Fairy Godmother.

Carlos picked up his whiteboard and scrawled the answers as quickly as he could. For someone who seemed to pay zero attention to Fairy Godmother in class, he certainly knew all the answers. In fact, he got them so quickly that they were finished before five minutes was up.

A quick peek told her that Fairy Godmother was busy grading papers and not paying them much attention. She looked up every once in a while, but she didn’t act like she could hear them. “Did you think about what we talked about before class?”

He flicked his eyes up to hers briefly, and nodded. Once up, once down. “You know I’m right, don’t you?”

He drug his fingers across the answers he had written on the whiteboard, erasing the words and picked his marker back up. WHAT NOW?

Mal had quite a few ideas, but she didn’t want to push things too quickly. “I don’t know. I thought maybe you would have an idea.”

KILL THEM. The words were there barely long enough for her to see them before he erased it quickly. He wasn’t going to take a chance of getting caught writing it.

That was the Carlos she knew. He might play weak, and sweet, and gentle well, and there might even be hints of that in him, but all of those things had to be squashed down if he wanted to survive. Carlos knew that sometimes you had to strike first, if you wanted to make it.

“That’s an idea. But what stops the next in line from just taking their place? We can’t just keep assassinating people.”

His quiet snort said that he would have no problem doing just that. But he tried again. TAKE OVER.

She gave him a feral smile, which he returned in kind. “Agreed.”

Fairy Godmother looked up from the front of the class. “I’m pleased to you the two of you working together so well.”

She didn’t know the half of it. “Carlos is going to be tutoring me in math, too.”’

To his credit, Carlos didn’t startle or give any indication that this was the first he was hearing of this tutoring. He just flicked his eyes to hers and away again, seemingly lost in his thoughts. 

“Wonderful! Class is over, so if the two of you are finished with your work, you may leave.” 

Carlos immediately went to the front of the classroom, so he could watch Fairy Godmother make the note that he had participated in class today and had a good attitude so he could go see Anita this weekend.

Mal couldn’t say that she understood the point of all this. They all knew that Carlos was doing these things because it got him what he wanted, not because he desired to. Were they trying to say that his actual feelings didn’t matter, only the face that he showed the world? 

And there was a bigger problem. Right now, Carlos was being held in check by the treat of having what he wanted taken away. It was working. But it wouldn’t forever. Carlos was smart, and he would very quickly figure out a loophole, or just decide that whatever was being held over his head was no longer enough. And when that happened…. Mal didn’t want to be around.

But she wasn’t going to be the one to say that. For one thing, no one was going to believe her. Fairy Godmother might have an idea of what was lurking just under the surface, but there was no way she understood the truth of what Carlos, and Mal herself, was. They weren’t like the kids here, and they would never be.

And honestly…she wanted to see it herself. She needed Carlos right now, but she didn’t trust him. She wouldn’t be able to trust him until she saw what he was actually capable of, and pushing him into a meltdown was the surest way to accomplish that. She was pretty sure that he had melted down for Jay, but there had been no violence involved. If there had been, Jay would be sporting some serious bruises, if not outright slashes. That was a surprise, since Carlos always resorted to violence. Maybe it was different when you wanted to screw someone. 

Both Evie and Jay were waiting outside the classroom. They were surprised to see Carlos and Mal together and relaxed for the first time. Jay immediately took Carlos’ backpack, like he couldn’t carry his own or something. It was kind of weird that Carlos let him have it though. He was usually as protective of his things as Mal was over hers.

Then he did something that surprised her. He raised his right hand and moved it rapidly about his face and chest. There seemed to be a purpose to his movements, one that Jay read in an instant. 

That was…. interesting. As far as Mal knew, Carlos hadn’t done any of that back on the Island. He wrote when he absolutely had to, but for the most part, he just chose to ignore everyone. If he needed something, he took it. He had no desire to hold a conversation or even have human interaction. 

But here it was different. For the first time, he was showing an interest in people who were not himself. He was changing rapidly here in Auradon, and it made her wonder if she was changing just as much when looked at by an outsider. It was a strange thought.

But she supposed that it didn’t matter how much or little Carlos changed, as long as she could still control him. Once she had the wand and thus control of Auradon, he would be free to do whatever he felt like. 

She would be happy to spare his life. After all, she was going to be a fair ruler. If Carlos did what she knew he was capable of and helped her out, she would put aside their differences and let him go in peace. She didn’t want her new subjects to see her as a monster, because she didn’t intend to be one.

What was even more interesting about Carlos’ gestures was the fact that Jay had no trouble understanding them. “Really? Huh.” 

He turned to Mal. “So, he says that he’s going to be tutoring you in math from now on. He’s good, you’ll pass.”

Smooth. If Mal had been the one to bring that up, Jay would have been suspicious. He still had his panties in a twist over his wallet. He had gotten it back, hadn’t he? She hadn’t even taken anything out of it. If he was that attached to it, he should have kept a better watch on it.

But if Carlos said it? (And she used the term ‘said’ in the loosest possible sense) It was law, period. Jay would never think to question anything his little lover boy said or did. For Evils sake, Carlos had him blinded. At least Evie had the sense to be suspicious of Mal and her motives. Though she didn’t seem suspicious of Carlos, either. What was it about that kid?

She smiled at him before turning to Carlos. “Oh, I’m sure I will. I’m sure Carlos will prove to be most helpful.”

Their eyes met, green on brown, and he nodded minutely. Finally, things were starting to fall into place.

&&^&^&^&^&

 

Jay was moving fast, almost to the point where Carlos had to hop a bit to keep up. This was going to be their first day at Tourney together, and Jay wanted to get there before everyone else. 

Carlos appreciated it. He would have thought that he would get used to everyone staring at him, but it was still hard. He didn’t know if they were expecting him to kill a puppy or start a fight, or suddenly start talking, but he had no intention of doing any of those things. But they kept watching and waiting. ‘

He finally had some workout clothes that fit him. Evie had been delighted to have another excuse to go shopping, especially now that she knew his exact sizes and preferences. The top she had gotten him was tight across his chest, but apparently, it was supposed to be that. It was black with a white check mark on the chest, and the shorts were red. He liked them, just like he liked everything Evie brought him. 

They were the first ones there, other than a man who Jay introduced as the coach. Carlos waved at him, but kept his distance. “So, you’re Carlos. Jay here tells me that you’re some sort of physics genius?’

Should he say yes or no? Panicked, Carlos swung around to look at Jay. What should he say or do?

“He’s an all-over genius. I’m pretty sure he’s the smartest person in school.” Jay sounded uncertain as well. 

“Good. I’m going to get you to help me with these cannons. They keep firing low and I’m tired of taking my players out at the knees.”

Oh, he could do that. Getting something to fire higher was just a simple matter of either more force or a greater angle. He nodded and the coach smiled at him. “Good. Am I correct in understanding that you will not be participating and anything involving physical contact? Just laps and drills?”

Carlos nodded again. He didn’t want anyone touching him, and especially not knocking him down and piling on top of him. He had seen Tourney games on television, and it looked horrifying and dangerous. 

Other players had started at arrive, and Jay brought him over to be introduced. “This is Gaston Jr, Doug, and Chad. Guys, this is Carlos.”

All of those names were familiar to Carlos. He knew Gaston from the Island (the man was a good customer, even if he did try to put his hand down Carlos’ pants one time. There was a reason the man was now missing part of his finger. Carlos didn’t take being touched lightly.), and his son looked just like him. Doug was the one who wanted to date Evie, but he didn’t know that Evie only wanted to be with girls. Chad used to live with Jay, but now he lived with Doug, because Carlos lived with Jay. Hopefully he wasn’t mad about that.

He didn’t act mad. He acted curious about Carlos, just like everyone else, but he didn’t act upset. ‘Hey, it’s nice to meet you. I came by the other day, but you were taking a shower so I missed you.”

Carlos felt his face flush. He knew exactly when Chad had stopped by, and it was the same night he wrecked the dorm room. He still didn’t know why he had done that, and over a blanket of all things. It wasn’t like he didn’t still have a comforter, and other blankets. But those other blankets weren’t the ones that Evie had given him. 

At first, he had thought that it had just fallen down behind the bed, or been left in the window seat from when he had been sitting there and thinking. But it wasn’t there. It wasn’t in the closet, it wasn’t in any of his drawers. It was gone.

And that was when he had panicked. If he had stayed calm and thought, he would have remembered that it was laundry day, and been able to draw the logical conclusion that it was being washed. This was why panic was dangerous. All emotions were, but the ones that could cloud your judgement were the worst. He needed to have his wits about him at all times. It hadn’t gone terribly wrong this time, but it could have. Jay could have given him the beat down he probably deserved. He could have gotten kicked out of the school for ruining property. They could have sent him back to the Island.

He had actually heard Chad come in when he brought the blanket. The shower was running, but he recognized someone at the door so he stepped out and put his ear to the bathroom door, hoping to hear what was being discussed. He didn’t end up being able to hear anything beyond the cadence of their voices, but he recognized Chad.

Carefully, he raised one hand and signed back. Nice to meet you, too. If he stayed polite and uninteresting, maybe the would leave him alone. 

Jay translated for him and Chad nodded. Then he turned away and started blathering on to someone else about plays and moves and all kinds of other things that went right over Carlos’ head. Fine with him. 

The coach blew his whistle, which made everyone jump. “Everyone on the field. You will all notice that we have a new player today. This is Carlos. He is here to run laps and do sprints only. He is not to be pushed, tackled or bothered in any way. Anyone I catch doing so will be running laps until tomorrow morning, as well as being benched for the next three games. I will also mention that he will be fixing the cannons and I will have no problem letting him take aim at anyone who harasses him. Got it?”

They all called out their approval and Carlos was sent to the field with the rest of them. He made sure to stick very close to Jay, just in case anyone decided to take a quick shot at him. 

They started out with laps of the field. It was big, but not huge, and Carlos kept up and easy lope along with the rest of the boys. It wasn’t hard to keep up, even though most of the boys had longer legs than he did. 10 laps around the field and he wasn’t even feeling a tightness in his chest. He was in better shape then he had thought.

From laps, they moved on to fast sprints. They had to run across the width of the field, grab a ball and run back. It was a stretch for hand-eye coordination, and more difficult. But he was used to grabbing things on the run, so it wasn’t impossible. 

The drill moved quickly, but since only two people were running at a time, there was plenty of time to stand around and wait. Carlos glued himself to Jay’s side, where he felt the safest. He hated crowds, especially crowds of people he didn’t know.

Someone new broke from the crowd and walked over, making him tense. Jay was distracted, so Carlos tapped his shoulder and pointed. “Oh, hey Ben.”

Suddenly this other boy was much more interesting. So, this was Ben. Ben who was the next in line to be the king. Ben who was Evie’s adopted brother. Ben who had wanted to take him and Mal, even when the adults were saying no. He looked…. pretty much like Carlos had been expecting. Sweet and giving and like he had never had a bad day in his entire life. Never fought for food, never fought at all. How was he supposed to run a country?

But he signed a quick ‘hello’ anyway, keeping his face and body language neutral. Politeness was expected here in Auradon, and he had to be willing to play the part. 

“I met Mal a little bit ago, but we haven’t had a chance to connect. How are you liking Auradon so far?”

Why did everyone ask that? It wasn’t like he was going to get away with saying he hated it. Most of the time it was fine. He had enough to eat and a safe place to sleep. More importantly, he was away from Cruella. 

But he had lost his freedom. Here, everyone watched him all the time. Fairy Godmother forced him to comply with her asinine rules, like he was some sort of animal doing tricks just to have some basic freedoms. He had to hide what he was doing and building, because they might think it was unsafe. He was watched with knives, and propane torches, and all the other things he had been using since he could walk. No one had ever told him that he couldn’t do something before, and he didn’t like the feeling now. If these people had cared, they would have dealt with him 16 years ago, like they had with everyone else. 

But he wasn’t going to say that, so he just shrugged. Fine, it was fine. That was all that they wanted to hear, anyway. They wanted to feel like they were doing a good deed by bringing him here, whether they were or not. As long as he acted happy and grateful, things were fine.

“You should both come by for dinner one night. Mom has been asking about you.”

The queen, the queen. Had he met the queen yet? He furrowed his brows as he thought. Everything from his first few days here was so blurry that he could have easily met her and not remembered. Or maybe she had been one of the people who stayed on the other side of the glass mirror and looked at him through the camera. He shrugged again and looked away. 

Ben took the hint. “You too, Jay. I miss seeing you all the time since Evie moved into the dorms. The five of us should go out one day. Maybe swimming before it gets too cold.”

And, just like that, Carlos was out. He wasn’t going anywhere near water, especially not a lake or pond that could have anything lurking in it. Monsters, bacteria, scraps of metal. No thank you. He couldn’t swim, and he had been held underwater one too many times to ever be comfortable near it again. 

Fortunately, his turn to run came before he could be trapped into either agreeing to go or having to admit that he was afraid of the water. He wasn’t going to reveal his fears (and there were a lot of them, every one justified through experience) to anyone. Except Anita. It was ok to tell her he was afraid of dogs. If she asked, he might tell her about some of the other stuff. She was in her own category as far as what was and was not safe to tell her. He wasn’t sure why that was, but his instincts had kept him alive so far, and he wasn’t going to distrust them now. 

He was able to easily snatch the ball and make it back far before his opponent, who was faster but overshot the ball and had to take extra time to get it picked up and back. Precision won in the end, always.

“Good job, deVil. You sure you don’t want to try out for the team?” Coach was calling through the megaphone and it made him jump. He shook his head. “Let me know if you change your mind. You’re finished, the rest of you get your equipment on.”

Carlos started to leave the field, but the Coach called him back. “You want to take a quick look at the cannons? Let me know what you need to fix them.”

He could do that. In fact, he would take it as a challenge. Coach walked him over to the edge of the field. “So, it’s these two that are shooting low. Can you fix it?”

Of course, he could. There was a panel that popped off of the side, and he was able to see the inner workings of the cannon. There was even a set of tools right on the back of it. How very clever.

He was aware of the Coach’s eyes on him as he studied the insides, but he pushed the thought away. Sometimes people wanted to stay and watch him at home, too. He didn’t mind as long as they didn’t try to talk to or distract him.

There was nothing obviously wrong with the insides. The gears all moved when the touched them, and the belts seemed nice and tight. He poked one thing after the other, trying to see if anything was loose. It was a simple slingshot, so something had to be…there it was. Once he saw what was loose, it was a pretty simple matter to tighten it up. He wasn’t quite sure how tight to make it, so he just tried to make it similar to the rest. The second cannon was loose in the same place, so he must have been on the right track. When he was done, he gave the Coach a quick thumbs up. He was in the mans good graces for the moment at least. Then he turned to leave.

Carlos had kept up pretty well, enough that he was pleased with how things had turned out. He climbed up on to the bleachers to wait for Jay to finish. He could get back to the dorms by himself with no problem, but he was willing to wait for Jay to finish practice. It was nice out, and he liked being able to see clearly here, instead of it being all foggy like it was on the Island. 

Mostly, though, he wanted to think about what had happened in class today. Mal thought that she was so smart, but she wasn’t. She was being nice to him, because he had something she wanted. And it wasn’t hard to figure out just what that was. He and Mal were pretty evenly matched when it came right down to it. But he had one thing that she didn’t. He could break the barrier. 

She had some pretty grandiose ideas, far too grandiose for her to accomplish on her own, or even with his help. Two teenagers against the entire Auradon army? It wasn’t going to happen, and she had to know it.

So, she was counting on back-up, and it was going to have to come in the form of villains from the Island. But they would need some way to get across the barrier. Hence, she needed Carlos.

Which left him in a rather precarious position. Everything Mal had said to him was true. They were being treated as performing animals, not people. They didn’t have the same rights as the other students, and far more restrictions, when they had done nothing wrong. The King and the future King were using them to advance their agenda, though was that agenda was seemed a bit unclear.

And, most importantly, he wasn’t safe. He had been here for almost 8 weeks, and he still didn’t know what to do or where to turn in any given situation. If he couldn’t control the situation, he couldn’t feel safe in it, no matter what everyone kept insisting. 

But was breaking the barrier again the answer? He wasn’t safe here, but he hadn’t been safe there, either. He was starting to suspect he wouldn’t ever be safe. Mal had implied that once he completed his task for her, he would be left alone to do whatever he wanted. That would be the most amazing thing to ever happen to him, and was all he had ever wanted.

And he did believe that she would do so. Maleficent was harsh and sometimes downright cruel, but she rewarded those who were loyal to her. There was no reason to think that Mal would be any different. He wasn’t really that different from Cruella, after all, except she was crazy and he wasn’t. And he had plenty of time left to get there. After all, she hadn’t been crazy when she was his age, either. There were pictures to prove it. 

But Maleficent couldn’t control everyone on the Island, despite her best efforts. Mal wouldn’t be able to, either. And that would leave Carlos with a big target on his back. At home, he got by by just being invisible. He never sought people out, and never made demands of them. If they wanted him, they knew where to find him. They would have to come to his territory, rather then him coming to theirs, which gave him the opportunity to defend himself. But if he went through with this, he would be a target to everyone from Auradon for not stopping Mal, and a target to everyone from the Island because he had escaped. There was no way he could stand up to all of them.

He pulled his knees to his chest and wrapped his arms around them. No matter what he did, he was fucked. If he helped Mal, he brought the Island to Auradon, and that was not going to work out well. Mal was a moron for even considering it. But, then, he supposed she had a loyalty to her mother that he didn’t to his. Cruella could rot on the Island into eternity for all he cared.

But if he didn’t go along with her, he would become her own target. Mal wasn’t used to being denied anything, and she could be quite vicious when thwarted. If he didn’t help her, and she succeeded anyway…. he didn’t even want to think about what would happen to him, but it would be ugly.

And it wasn’t just him, either. Carlos had never had to consider other people in the past, and it felt strange now. He might be spared, but there was no way Mal would spare Jay. Anita was probably out, too. This was why he didn’t get attached to people. They always ended up complicating things in the end.

He supposed he could try to stop her. He had certainly prevented her from carrying out plans before. She usually got pissed off and fought back, but he didn’t care about that. It had been a while since he had had a good fight, and he itched to have some fun. 

What was he supposed to do? He could tell Fairy Godmother, he guessed. They were big on getting an adult to help you here. But she liked Mal and not him, so that probably wasn’t going to work. Plus, he wasn’t a rat. If things needed to be dealt with, he would do it himself, just like always.

He tucked his body even tighter. He was in a mess, maybe the biggest one he had ever gotten himself into. But he would just suck it up and survive, the same as he always did. He hadn’t needed anyone else so far, and he didn’t need them now.

%^%^%^%^%^%^%^

 

“Your boyfriend doesn’t look very happy up there.” Chad pulled his helmet off to get a quick drink. “Think he needs something?”

Say what you would about Chad Charming, he took his responsibilities quite seriously. Once Jay had made it clear that he was counting on Chad to keep an eye out for Carlos at practices, he wouldn’t have to worry. He would still do it, because he always worried about Carlos, but it helped to know there was a second set of eyes on him.

Though he doubted Carlos needed anything. Well, actually, Carlos needed a lot, but nothing that was going to turn up on the Tourney field. A boatload of confidence and a working voice box would probably be pretty helpful right about now. 

He squinted up at the bleachers to try and see what Chad was talking about. Sure enough, Carlos looked pretty dejected up there, with his arms wrapped tightly around his knees and his eyes far away. “He’s fine. He just looks sad sometimes.” 

Or maybe Carlos actually was sad. As time passed, he seemed to be getting attached to Jay. He didn’t hide at all any longer, and, just like right now, he was choosing to wait for Jay to finish practice rather then go back to the dorm room my himself, but that didn’t mean much. He helped Jay with his math and was enthusiastic about playing video games and seemed to be pretty content, but it was all guesswork on Jay’s part. Carlos gave no indication of his feelings.

Jay would still ask later, though. He didn’t anticipate getting anything other than a disinterested shrug, but he had to keep trying. Maybe one day Carlos would have enough trust in him to tell him what was going on. 

“Think he fixed the cannon? I saw him messing with it when we came out.”

Oh shit. “If he was messing with it, it’s fixed and we’re going to have to be extra careful. Coach is going to be ecstatic.”

The cannon was definitely fixed, and Jay was hit twice in short order. Yelps from around the field told him that he wasn’t the only one to feel the sting. He quickly forgot Carlos and whatever was bugging him in the chaos. Ben was calling out plays faster than they could follow them and players were banging into each other from all sides. If they couldn’t get it together, they were going to get mauled to death by the Arandell Avengers.

He, Chad, and Ben had been teammates since they were just five years old, and they tended to move as a unit. No matter what the play, they knew where they should be to get it done. By this point in the year, they knew all of their plays, and they were just polishing them. Coach might introduce a new play or two, but not this close to a big game.

Practice usually ran for an hour, but if it was close to a game, it might be an hour and a half, or even two. They had lost to the Avengers last time, and Coach wasn’t going to let that happen again. By the time they were finished, it was starting to get dark. Jay was tired, and grass stained, and he had a bruise forming from where two different JV players had smashed into his side. Still, he couldn’t help but feel like he had accomplished something. They were going to win this time.

He half expected that Carlos was going to be gone when he looked up, but the other boy was still there, sitting in the same place. Where as he had looked blanked out before, though, he was quite focused on the field and the movement on it. . Jay pointed at him. “Come on, C! Ready to go home?” He was trying to refer to their dorm as ‘home’ more often now, hoping the Carlos would pick up on it and start to see it that way.

They picked up dinner to go and took it back to the dorm room. It was pot roast night, which was always a good thing in Jay’s mind. As far as he could tell, Carlos liked everything and in huge portions. For such a skinny little thing, he sure could eat. Most days it was as much or more than Jay did. 

“What did you think of your first Tourney practice? Did you like it?”

Carlos nodded happily, most of his attention on arranging his food to his liking. He didn’t hover over his food like he was afraid of having it snatched any more, but he preferred to have his own space to eat in. “Yeah? Are you going to come to the game on Saturday? You can sit with Evie if you want to.”

Another nod, and Jay felt a surge of pride. Carlos had been able to show him over and over what he was good at. He was smart enough to be tutoring other people, and a really good dancer. But all Jay had been able to do was talk about what he could do. Now he would be able to show it off.

He wasn’t 100% sure why it was so important, but it definitely was. He wanted Carlos to see what he could do, and that he was great at something, too. “What would you think about doing something with Ben and Chad and I? We could go out and have a guy’s day.”

It was a push, but if he didn’t push Carlos every now and then, the other boy wouldn’t move forward. For the most part, he didn’t seem to mind his life the way it was right now. He spent most of his time in the door room, but he knew that he could get out any night he wanted and have complete freedom to explore. He had enough to eat, parts to work and play with, company when he wanted it, and a soft place to sleep. What more could he want?

Carlos nodded with surprisingly little hesitation. He usually took lot longer than this to warm to someone, but Ben had that easygoing, trustworthy vibe that everyone picked up on. “Cool. There’s a ton of stuff that you haven’t seen yet. Well, not during the day, at least.”

Part of his sudden surge of confidence was undoubtedly the result of the work he and Jay had both put in on his signing. Carlos could communicate quite well now, and that had to put him a little more at ease. Just knowing that there was someone who understood what you wanted was huge. 

Once they were done eating and Jay had showered, they both sat down on Jay’s bed to do their homework. He didn’t know why Carlos had suddenly decided they had to be side by side, but he did nothing to discourage it. It was nice to have someone want to be with him all the time, and think he was great, which Carlos clearly did. 

He was getting better with his math, and managed all of the problems by himself. At his side, Carlos read his history book, filling out a worksheet as he went. He still wouldn’t touch anyone, but he was so close that Jay could feel his body heat. It sent a shiver down his spine, making him both want to pull away and close the gap so they were finally touching. 

“Did you mind having to sit through the rest of practice today? It’s not usually that long, but things get a little wild right before game days.” He knew that Carlos could get himself back to the dorm room if he was too bored, but hw wasn’t sure that the other boy would. He preferred to be silent and invisible, drawing no attention to himself.

It took a minute for Carlos to look up, but he shook his head when he finally did. He fluttered his fingers in a flurry of signs. It’s fine. It was fun.

“Ok. You looked kind of sad up there today. Was something wrong?”

The smaller boy tapped the side of his head twice, a gesture that didn’t need interpreting. I was just thinking, Jay.

“About what?” He would have given almost anything to know what went through Carlos’ head on an average day. If he kept encouraging, maybe one day he would get some results.

Carlos flicked his eyes up and stared at Jay for what felt like forever. Really, it was probably less than a minute, but Carlos usually did his best to avoid any eye contact at all, so the effect was unsettling. He was obviously debating whether or not to share. But in the end, he shook his head and looked away.

“Just stuff?” Hew had to offer the out, or Carlos would get all freaked out and try to get away. The kid couldn’t stand feeling trapped, even if the trap was only in his mind.

A nod, but Jay sensed some disappointment. He might not be the brightest, but he could read people well. Whatever the problem was, Carlos did want to share it, but for whatever reason hadn’t. But it was a good sign. He was at least starting to trust Jay, and wanted his help with things. Hopefully soon he would be able to ask. If Jay was super lucky, maybe he would even get to hear his friend’s voice for the first time. “Well, if you need some help sorting it out, all you have to do is ask.”

Carlos slid off of the bed and packed his things back into his backpack. He was obsessively neat and liked to have everything in perfect order for the next day. Jay was more of a ‘throw it together at the last minute and end up leaving half of today’s homework on the floor’ sort of guy, but he had to admit that Carlos’ way worked better. He had picked up on it after seeing the borderline panicked way Carlos would look at Jay’s side of the room some nights. He would never dream of asking, much less telling, Jay to pick up, but he visibly relaxed when Jay did it himself. It was a small price to pay to keep Carlos happy. 

By now they had an evening routine down, and Carlos was already setting up the gaming system. It has his turn to pick a game, which usually meant racing. He wasn’t a fan of anything violent. Jay figured he had seen enough violence on the Island to last him a lifetime. 

Again, he chose to sit very close to Jay, even if they weren’t touching. They played a few rounds, splitting the wins pretty equally between them. Carlos was good, but Jay had plenty of experience on his side. By bedtime, they were tied, with Jay just edging out for win. 

He went into the bathroom to change into his pajamas, leaving Carlos to do his changing in the room. He told himself that Carlos was uncomfortable changing with an audience, which was true. But it was equally true that he felt strange changing in front of Carlos. It was weird, because he changed in front of the entire Tourney team almost every day. It just seemed different with Carlos. 

When he came out, Carlos was waiting, his box sitting on the bed. The box had been their compromise about the food thing. He couldn’t let Carlos keep old sandwiches in their room. First of all, it was gross and they smelled. Second of all, he didn’t want Carlos to get sick after eating moldy things. 

But just taking the food away would be cruel. Carlos wasn’t hoarding it because he was too lazy to go down to the cafeteria. He was hoarding it because he was afraid of going hungry. Jay might not know all of the fancy therapist stuff that was supposed to be helping here, but he knew enough to know that forcing food away from someone who was afraid of being hungry wasn’t going to make them less afraid. It was going to make it worse.

So, he got a box and filled it with food. Food that didn’t need to be kept cold, so it wasn’t going to go bad. Packages of crackers and cookies, chocolate bars, fruit and veggies. A jar of peanut butter. A few cans of soda and bottles of water. Anything that he could think of that might work. He filled the box to the absolute top, and let Carlos keep it under his bed. 

There was only one catch. Every night, the two of them looked through it, and Carlos had to part with anything that looked like it might be going bad or was close to it’s expiration date. If the apple was bruised or the veggies had white spots, they had to go. Jay kept a running tally of what was tossed, and he made sure to replace it by the next day. Anything that was eaten was replaced as well. Even though Carlos could have gotten more food for himself, it seemed important that Jay do it. He wanted the other boy to see that they would feed him and take care of him, and that he didn’t have to do it himself. He also wanted Carlos to be able to look and see when something was too rotten to eat, and recognize it later.

It seemed to be working. Carlos had been upset when the first thing, an orange with a soft brown spot, was thrown away, but he hadn’t retrieved it from the trash (Jay checked twice before emptying their small can into the dumpster outside), and had been delighted with the replacement orange he got the next day. Hopefully they would hit a day when he didn’t need to replace things at all, and Carlos would still feel ok about things.

Even though Carlos acted like he was fine with it, Jay had been carefully watching him at meals to make sure he wasn’t stealing food. The first time he had to leave something behind on his plate, Carlos gave him a look that suggested not being able to take it was physically painful. But he didn’t do it. 

The strange thing about all this was, Jay didn’t think Carlos was actually eating any of the food he took. He knew that they were getting enough at meals, but he had assumed that hunger was at least partially the motivator for what he was doing. But other than the occasional snack, just knowing that the food was there seemed to be enough to make Carlos happy.

“Everything in here looks pretty good. Is there anything you want me to bring you?” He asked every night, and usually got a shrug in response.

This time, though, he did get a request. Carlos’ fingers flew as he spelled out the letters. G-U-M.

“I can get that. A bunch of different flavors if you want. You do know that you aren’t supposed to swallow it, though, right?”

The dark eyes rolled in a way that required absolutely no translation. Yes, Jay. I know what gum is for.

“Just checking. I’ll get us some tomorrow.” Keeping Carlos stocked in snacks was putting serious dent in his allowance each week, but the shy smiles it earned him made it all worth it. “You ready for bed?”

A quick nod, and this time Carlos gave him a shoulder bump before spinning away and jumping into his own bed. From there it was quite the ritual of arranging pillows and blankets until he was comfortable. Everything needed to be in the right place and not an inch to the left or right. Once he was ready, though, he would fall asleep quickly and easily in a way that made Jay jealous.

Jay laid awake for a long time, listening to Carlos breathing in the dark. Even in his sleep, he was silent and very still, drawing zero attention. If Jay hadn’t already known he was there, he might have missed him entirely. Finally, he let the quiet breaths lull him to sleep.

What felt like seconds later, he was woken up by a series of pokes on his shoulder. He groaned and rolled over to face his attacker. “What do you want, C?”

Of course, there was no response, but Carlos jumped onto the bed with him. In the dim light streaming in through the window, Jay could see his eyes and face lit up with feral glee. It was a little disturbing, and Jay felt his heart start to pound. “Is something wrong? Did you have a bad dream?” He started to sit up, but Carlos leaned onto his upper body, effectively pinning him. Then he laughed.

It should have been creepy, but the sound was so light and happy, almost a giggle, that Jay couldn’t help but laugh as well. Beyond the pleasure it portrayed, though, it was proof that Carlos could make sounds. And if he could make sounds, he would be able to speak one day, right? “Well look at you. Everything making noises and shit.”

Carlos laughed again, his face transforming into a familiar grin, and Jay couldn’t help but wrap his arms around the smaller boy. He was totally caught up in the excitement of the moment. Whatever as happening in Carlos’ brain to allow this communication, he hoped it would continue once the sun was up.

Abruptly the laughter stopped, and Carlos looked at him like he was seeing Jay for the first time. His eyes traced Jay’s face, and Jay could feel his heart pounding harder.

Then it happened. Carlos leaned down and pressed his lips to Jay’s. It might have seemed an affectionate gesture, like he had seen Jay do to Evie, or some of the other students do with friends, but there was a heat in his eyes and strength in his grip on Jay’s forearms that suggested he knew exactly what he was doing, and friendship had nothing to do with it.

Whoa, that was not ok. He didn’t mind at all if Carlos wanted to be gay. It was totally cool and fine, but Jay himself was 100% into the ladies. He had to let Carlos know that he wasn’t interested in him like that. Bros only.

His brain absolutely knew it, and he was going to gently push Carlos away in a way that didn’t hurt the other boys feelings. Which was why his traitorous body decided that this entire thing was great, and he was totally into boys. Or at least into Carlos. He kissed back fiercely, letitn Carlos know that he understood the challenge and accepted it.

Kissing Carlos was way different then kissing Freddie or Ally. They were soft and tender, their lips sticky with glass and barely touching his before they would giggle and flit away. If he was very lucky, he would get a little bit of tongue. Carlos was heat and power and a roughness that made the girls seem like pale little nothings by comparison. This was a man thing, and girls had no part in it. 

One hand rand up and down his side, fingers scrabbling along his ribs and leaving a trail of fire in their wake. To Jay’s shock, Carlos bit him on the lip, and none too gently, either. When their eyes met, Carlos gave a low growl. He wanted to take charge, and Jay was more than willing to let him. Hopefully Carlos had some idea of what he was doing here, because Jay had no clue.

Once he realized that Jay had surrendered, Carlos pushed harder, moving his hand from Jay’s ribs to the tie on his pajama pants. None of the girls Jay had dated had been willing to go anywhere near this far, and Jay felt a stirring of unease. This was too much, too fast.

“Stop.” He barely recognized his own voice, it as so soft and shaky. “Please.”

Carlos looked at him curiously, but he stopped immediately, his hands moving back to his own thighs. His smile returned, as mysterious as any painting. “Soon, then.”

With that, he jumped off of Jay’s bed and returned to his own, pulling the covers back over his body and turning away. But Jay would have sworn he heard another soft laugh float across the room.

What the fuck? Carlos could talk, he could laugh, he could be weird as fuck, and he could put his hands where the definitely did not belong, no matter what Jay’s achingly hard cock was trying to insist. Carlos wasn’t allowed to just do all of those freaky things at once and just walk away, was he? Jay had to set him straight on this. He was going to go over there and-

He woke with a start, nearly falling off of the bed. The room was dark and still, and Carlos was asleep in his bed a few feet away. He was in the exact same position he had been when he fell asleep, his breaths slow and measured. There was no indication that he had been awake at all, much less that he had been in Jay’s bed. But it had happened, hadn’t it?

Only it hadn’t. His pajama bottoms were still tied, and there was no pain in his lip where Carlos had bitten him, no matter how hard he rubbed. The entire thing had happened only in his imagination.

He knew that he had already thought it several times, but WHAT THE FUCK! What was wrong with him? Not only was he apparently into dudes now, but he was perving on his own roommate! And it was Carlos, who had so many problems already, and definitely didn’t need Jay creeping on him in the middle of the night. What the fuck, brain!

He started to get up and go to the bathroom to take care of his little…problem, but quickly realized his dilemma. If he walked across the room, he would wake Carlos up, and he didn’t even want to have to look the other boy in the face, much less explain why he was walking around the room with a raging hard-on. 

Ok, he just had to calm down. So, he had had a weird little sex dream about Carlos. It didn’t really mean anything, other than he needed to get over his shyness in the shower and jerk off more often. He had had weird sex dreams about inappropriate people before. Like Evie. Or Fairy Godmother. Or even that really freaky one about Chad and Lonnie at the same time. They were just dreams, and he didn’t need to make a big deal out of it. 

He was just going to go back to sleep, and take a nice cold shower in the morning to drive these thoughts out of his head. He looked down and sighed. Make it a very cold shower.


	16. Chapter 16

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's amazing how much writing you can get knocked out when you are procrastinating packing for a move, isn't it? This will be the last chapter for a few weeks, while I get moved and set up in a new place.

Fear cuts deeper then swords  
-A Game of Thrones, A Song of Fire and Ice- 

As the days passed, Mal had to admit that life in Auradon wasn’t as terrible as she had anticipated that it would be. Sure, what these kids considered exciting didn’t compare to even the dullest day on the Island, but there were certainly ways to find some fun. She was enjoying one of them right now.

“No, that is not what happened. I don’t know where you get some of these ideas.” Fairy Godmother was flapping her hands helplessly. “Rapunzel was stolen out of cruelty, but raised with love. That love transformed the act from deliberate evil to….more of a misguided action.”

Carlos picked up his whiteboard and wrote his reply. SO WHY IS SHE ON THE ISLAND? DOES MISGUIDED=EVIL?

“Not in the strictest sense.” She was getting uncomfortable now, which was always a mistake. Like an animal, Carlos was very good at sensing fear, and it only spurred him on. “But the King and Queen of Corona demanded the punishment of the Isle, as was their right, so that is what we did.”

THE KING OF AURADON LACKS POWER. OTHER KINGS AND QUEENS TELL HIM WHAT HE MUST DO.

“The King has a certain amount of discretion, but he is bound by the laws of the Kingdom, just like all of his subjects. What Madam Gothel did was against the law, and she was punished within the bounds of what was acceptable for breaking it. It is not the choice I would have personally made, but it was a choice made by those in power.” She was steady again, hoping that she was getting through to Carlos. 

Yeah, like that was going to happen. Secretly, Mal thought that Fairy Godmother now seriously regretted her demands that Carlos participate in class. He did exactly what was asked of him, and did it was just enough cheekiness that it was impossibly to prove he was being cheeky at all. For all they knew, he really was that sad, confused little lamb who needed help learning the ins and outs of Auradon.

In this case, though, he was 100% right. Madam Gothel (who was well known around the Island for running a business whose name and purpose rhymed quite well with her own) hadn’t loved Rapunzel. She had loved the idea of the girl’s power, and her own power over the child, but the girl herself? Nope, not a bit.

And as far as to where Carlos got these ideas, he got them from the very best and most accurate source: Madam Gothel herself. Like everyone else on the Island, she spent her time ruminating over her mistakes, and making plans for what she would do the next time. If Rapunzel had thought the tower was bad, she had no idea what was waiting for her should Madam Gothel get another chance. Dungeons and chains would hold her much more effectively than the tower, and she could forget all of those little pastimes as well. The foolish girl had taken years to realize she was a prisoner the first time. The next time around, there would be no doubt from the first moment.

Carlos was writing again, his head bowed over the whiteboard and his fingers flying. WHY IS THE KING NOT ON THE ISLAND? HE STOLE LOTS OF BABIES. SHE STOLE ONE.

Ooh, nice one! Mal had been wondering how to bring that little issue up for the maximum impact. As much as it pained her to do to, she had ultimately decided that it was best for her to not bring it up. She didn’t want to tip her hand even slightly by being stubborn or accusatory. She needed them to see her as a good girl, a grateful girl.

That didn’t mean she didn’t think it was fantastic to see Carlos bring it up, though. Why were some people punished by being sent to the Island while others got away with the exact same thing?

Fairy Godmother gasped. “We are not talking about even remotely the same thing. What the King did was a rescue mission to take children who were unwanted and at high risk of abuse and neglect. That is entirely different than removing a child from loving and willing parents.”

Even Mal was surprised at the level of hatred in the glare Carlos gave the woman. She couldn’t even recall him ever looking at her like that. He wrote again, the marker squeaking against the whiteboard. DARLING WANTED EVIE. SHE WOULD NOT HAVE HURT HER.

It didn’t escape Mal’s notice, and probably not Fairy Godmother’s either, that Carlos didn’t claim Cruella had wanted him. They all knew that that was completely untrue. It interested her to notice that he did not refer to Grimhilde by name, but by a nickname instead. She wondered where he had picked that up. 

“Yes well…..the Island is not a safe place for children, no matter how well intentioned their parents are.”

IT IS NOT SAFE FOR ANYONE.

“You are correct that the Island itself, and many of the issues surrounding it are ethically concerning. But that is far beyond the scope of this class. This class it to teach Goodness on a very basic level. Once you are finished here, I will direct you to the appropriate class for this sort of discussion.”

It was a cop out, and all three of them knew it. But Carlos had made his point, and done his duty by participating in class. As far as he was concerned, his work was done. He nodded sweetly and folded his hands on the desk, the very picture of goodness and light. Mal wanted to gag. 

Maybe he was more clever than she thought, though, because Fairy Godmother gave up on the planned lesson, and released them both to work on their project together. She moved over so that she and Carlos were sharing a desk. He jerked away from her, just like always, but it was less extreme than it had been at first. He was gradually coming around to the idea that the two of them needed each other right now, whether they liked it or not. 

They were supposed to be working on some bullshit goodness assignment that Carlos had planned out in a day, and would probably complete before this weekend was over. He didn’t require, or even want, her help with any of it. Fine with her. They had much more important things to discuss.

She leaned in close, so that they couldn’t be overheard. “Did you come up with any ideas?”

He shook his head, eyes downcast. He had flipped his notes over and was pretending to write in case Fairy Godmother looked over, but he was mostly just drawing a series of lines and dots, connecting them in some places and erasing them in others. It looked completely random, but she guessed there was some pattern there that she just didn’t see. He was weird like that. 

Weird but clever, since she could see a second page, with notes written all over it as if the two of them had been throwing ideas back and forth. If Fairy Godmother actually asked to see some progress, he would have something to show. 

“I have an idea.” She had to speak casually, as if this hadn’t been her plan all along. “We have to be smart about this. There’s only two of us, and we can’t take over all by ourselves. We need an army.”

WE DON’T HAVE AN ARMY. He wrote quickly and erased it just as fast.

She gave a contemptuous snort. “Of course we don’t have an army. We have you and me. What we need is a way to get the power of an army.”

He shrugged one shoulder, his eyes flicking towards Fairy Godmother for the briefest of seconds. When all of this was over, Mal had a sinking suspicion that things would not go well for the woman. PLAN?

“We need the wand.” When she said it out loud, it didn’t sound like much. And it wasn’t. It wouldn’t really be anything until she was using the wand to break through the barrier. But she had to ease Carlos into that idea, not just reveal it all at once. 

WAND IS USELESS UNTIL YOUR MOTHER IS INVOLVED.

Mal jumped before she realized what she was doing, but covered it with a surprised look. “What does my mother have to do with any of this?” She tried to sound as snotty as possible, as if she had no idea what he could possibly be talking about.

FOR WHEN YOU USE THE WAND TO BREAK THE BARRIER. THAT’S WHY YOU NEED ME TO HELP YOU. His face was expressionless as he wrote. 

Well shit. She wouldn’t have thought that Carlos was capable of figuring that out. “That’s the only way for us to win.”

NO.

Like her mother, Mal wasn’t used to being disobeyed. In fact, it had never occurred to her that Carlos might simply refuse. “It’s the only way.”

He shook his head. NO. SHE WILL TAKE OVER HERE AND MAKE IT AS BAD AS THE ISLAND. IT’S SAFER HERE.

This wasn’t going the way she had planned it. “You’re always going to be safer in a cage. Is that really how you want to live your life?”

He shook his head. SHE WILL HURT PEOPLE.

Just like she had suspected, Carlos was a pussy at heart. That was why he was Cruella’s punching bag back on the Island, and hers as well. “You hurt people.”

IF THEY WILL NOT LEAVE ME ALONE. 

Ok, she could work with that. “What if I could promise you that you would be left alone once it was over? You could have your own place, food, an unlimited amount of whatever it is you need to do whatever weird shit you put together. Everything you need. You’ll be safe.” 

She could tell that he was considering it. Then he shook his head again. JAY TOO.

She wondered if he had made a move on Jay yet. He was obviously getting something out of the relationship, but she had yet to see any evidence that Carlos was interested in boys. Or girls, for that matter. He worshiped Jay, but it didn’t seem to really be that sexual, just weird. 

“Fine, Jay is totally safe.” It was no skin off of her back, considering that she had been going to spare Jay any way. She wasn’t going to repeat either the King or her mother’s mistakes in taking too harsh of a stance right away. She didn’t need to be a beloved ruler, but she needed to be flexible enough not to drive her people into a rebellion, either.

AND ROGER AND ANITA. He gave her a dirty look, like she had deliberately left them out. Like she could keep track of the people he liked and didn’t like. 

“Of course. Mommy and Daddy are totally safe.” She said it as condescendingly as possible, making sure to roll her eyes. He had certainly picked himself a new family, quickly, hadn’t he?

Though she supposed if Cruella was her mother, she would try to find a new family as quickly as possible as well. 

Carlos shrugged. I’LL THINK ABOUT IT.

“Please do.” She tossed her hair, like she didn’t care what he chose. “I don’t suppose that I have to tell you to keep this between the two of us.”

Now he was the one rolling his eyes. OF COURSE.

Once their conversation was over, he picked up the paper with their project notes written on it and pushed it towards her to review. Loathe as she was to admit it, he had done a really nice job. Despite never attending school on the Island, he was quite a good student.

They worked in silence until Fairy Godmother dismissed them both. Carlos didn’t so much as look at her for the rest of class, and didn’t leave with her. He insisted on watching Fairy Godmother make the marks that said he had participated instead of sulking. Like the woman would cheat him. She was pretty sure that Fairy Godmother would give him extra marks just to get rid of him for a while. 

Today was Jay’s day to do the pick up, which meant she was left out of the conversations. He did make an effort to speak as he signed, but they were usually talking about shit she had no interest in. She guessed that Carlos felt just as left out when she and Evie were talking, since he couldn’t participate and neither one of them understood his gestures, but it was hard for her to get too upset about that. Even if she did feel a tiny tug at her chest over it.

The four of them all had a free period until lunch, but it was Carlos’ day to have speech therapy, so they dropped him off and continued on. Mal didn’t need to understand his signs to know that he was pretty violently protesting being forced to go. But he marched in there with his chin up and his jaw tight. 

“I wonder why they make him go in there.” Jay sounded tired, which made Mal think that they had this fight more than once. “All it’s doing is stressing him out.”

They made him go in there because they wanted him to talk. It was as simple as that. Mal didn’t know if they suspected he was able to and refusing, or if they were actually trying to teach him from the beginning, but they weren’t giving up. Unfortunately for them, neither was he. “Maybe he’ll talk eventually.”

“Have you ever heard him?” Jay was looking ahead, but she sensed that this was important. “I thought….I thought the other night he might do it.” 

Mal could smell a lie a million miles away, and she knew that Jay wasn’t telling her the complete truth. Carlos hadn’t talked to him, but something concerning had happened. “He’s never talked in his entire life. His mother told my mother that when they talked one day. Even when he was a baby, nothing. If Cruella were my mother, I wouldn’t talk to her either, though.”

As much as he drove her crazy, and he did, she had to admire Carlos’ dedication to the scam he was running. Since arriving in Auradon, she had a new opportunity to observe him and how he interacted with strangers up close, rather than from a distance. In doing so, she noticed a rather interesting phenomenon. People had a tendency to talk about private matters right in front of him, as is his difficulty was hearing as well as speaking. He had the dirt on quite a few people on the Island, and he was probably learning it about the people here as well. She wondered how to get that information from him, and what his plans were for using it. “Anyway, he definitely doesn’t talk to me.”

“Hmm.” She thought he might press the matter, or attempt to join her and Evie for like he sometimes did, but he just dropped her off and turned to his own room. “Tell Evie I’m going to go work out and not to wait up for lunch.”

Delightful. It wasn’t so much that she minded Jay’s presence, and she was rapidly growing indifferent to whether Carlos was there or not, but she wanted Evie to herself for now. It hadn’t occurred to her that Carlos might see through her plan and realize he was being used for his barrier breaking abilities. It also hadn’t occurred to her that he would refuse to help. If she couldn’t count on Carlos, she was going to need to go with her back-up plan.

The back-up plan was more dangerous, but infinitely more fun. She would move from within the castle, making friends and using them to weaken the foundations of their family and staff. There was always someone who was unhappy with the status quo, and nobody liked having to serve someone else rather then being in charge themselves. It was just a matter of finding that person and swaying them over to her side. 

The fact that her first step was going to be doing something that she had wanted to do for weeks didn’t hurt, either. While she wasn’t used to considering other people’s feelings, she was willing to make an exception for Evie. After all, she was growing quite fond of the Princess who would make Mal a queen.

Speaking of Evie, she was sitting at her sewing machine, pinning some fabric. Mal came up behind her and wrapped her arms around the other girl. “Hi, Princess.”

Evie gave her a distracted smile, and it made Mal’s heart jump again. While she usually couldn’t stand to be ignored, it was different with Evie. She liked that Evie didn’t drop everything to jump up for her. Evie wasn’t a servant; she was an equal who wouldn’t bow before Mal. And why would anyone want her to?

She wanted to say more, but she climbed onto her bed instead, pulling out her sketchbook and starting to draw. Between her homework and her flirting and some good old fashioned scheming, she hadn’t had much time to draw lately. 

Mal had long since worked out her own personal logo, the one she would have put on banners and shield when she was the queen. But what about Evie? She would need a design of her own. Once Mal had figured that out, she would find a way to blend them together to make their own crest.

Absently, she sketched an apple, a vial with smoke rising from it, a tiara, all with shades of blue running through them. LONG LIVE EVIL. Long live Evie.

She closed the sketchbook quickly when Evie climbed up on to the bed to talk to her. She had to move carefully and not frighten the other girl off. Evie smiled at her. “How’s your project going?”

To be honest, Mal had almost forgotten about the project. It was Carlos’ project now, and she had no idea what he was doing with it. Mal had a much bigger project in mind. “It’s alright. Pretty simple.” Couldn’t get much more simple than not doing it at all.

“How’s working with Carlos? Is it hard because he won’t talk to you?” 

No one had really mentioned Carlos and his lack of speech for the past few weeks, and now Evie and Jay had both brought it up within a few minutes. She wondered if they were questioning his abilities as well. “Not really. He writes fine and he can get his point across. Like I said, it’s not hard.” She wanted to find something to bitch about, but there really wasn’t anything. Carlos had pulled back and wasn’t fighting with her any longer. She sort of missed it.

“That’s good. It sucks when you’re in a group and one person has to do all of the work.” She stretched her arms over her head. “Can I see what you were working on? I wish I was better at the drawing part of designing.”

That was not going to happen. “Not yet. I want to have it finished before I show anyone. But if you want me to do some of your sketches, I will. I don’t get much practice drawing people.”

Evie’s happy smile made it worth any inconvenience that would cause her. It also made it easy to do what she wanted to do next. While Evie was still laughing, Mal gathered her courage and leaned forward to kiss the other girl. Here went nothing. 

6565656565

What did she do now? Evie rested her head in her hands. Mal had kissed her. But why? It was exactly what she had been wanting pretty much since she saw the other girl, but she couldn’t help but feel suspicious. 

On the other hand…her first kiss! She pressed her fingers to her lips, remembering the way it had felt. Her face heated again as she remembered the look on Ma’s face as she had pulled back. It tried to be self satisfied, but there was a flush to her cheeks and a slight tremble in her hands that told Evie Mal was just as excited and confused as she herself was. 

“Why did you do that?” Her heart was racing so fast that she was surprised she couldn’t see her shirt move. 

Mal shrugged. “Because I wanted to. Because you’re beautiful.” 

“But you don’t like girls.” Why was she even saying this? What if Mal changed her mind?

“Who told you that?” Mal smiled again, resting her head on Evie’s shoulder. 

“I…no one, I guess.” She had just assumed. “You didn’t say anything.”

“Neither did you, Princess.” The nickname had a new flavor to it, one that made Evie shiver. 

Hadn’t she? She was sure she had said something about…no, wait, that was to Carlos. And she could guarantee that he hadn’t breathed a word of it to anyone, much less Mal. “I guess not. What does this mean?”

“I don’t know. I just did it because I wanted to. That’s it.” 

Was that it? Was Mal saying not to expect more, or was the ball in Evie’s court now? “So that’s not your way of asking me out on a date?”

Mal laughed, resting on hand on Evie’s hip. “We don’t really do dating on the Island. It’s more like…gang activity.”

Evie suspected she shouldn’t ask what sort of things you might do on the Island when committing said ‘gang activity’. “How many girls have you gone out to commit gang activity with?”

“None. You, Princess, are special.” Her eyes danced, the smallest bit of green sparking inside them.

“How many boys?” Evie took comfort in asking questions and gathering info. It would help get her brain back in her head and out of her heart. 

“The only available boy happened to be Carlos. Is that enough of an answer for you?” Mal’s lip curled a bit.

It wouldn’t be the first time two enemies found love, or even a few stolen moments for some hatred fueled sex. But Evie couldn’t imagine it happening, no matter how hard she tried. “Yep, that’s plenty of answer.”

“I don’t think he likes girls, anyway. Or boys, either. I think he’s just kind of neutered.” Mal didn’t say it in a mean way, just a thoughtful one.

It was a testament to all of the horrible things she was learning about the Island that Evie spent a minute wondering if that could actually be true. But that was silly. If something like that had been done to him, she would have heard about it. Both she and Ben were keeping their eyes and ears open, and she had heard a lot about the injuries and issues that both Carlos and Mal had some with. If he had been sexually injured like that, there was no way they could have kept it a secret. 

“Where do we go from here?” Evie was proud of the fact that her voice didn’t shake. 

“Therapy, then lunch, I guess.” Mal didn’t sound very sure. “I don’t really know.”

Evie wanted to talk more about it, but that was the Auradon way of doing things. Maybe she needed to try doing things Mal’s way, the Island way. And the Island way meant shutting her mouth and letting nature take its court. 

They had another half hour before Mal had to leave for her appointment, so they sat in silence. Mal reached out and wound her fingers with Evie’s, holding tight. It was a gentle gesture that was at odds with Mal’s usual spiky personality. But she knew that there was as different Mal in there, one that didn’t need to be constantly defensive or on guard. That other Mal might be deep down, but Evie was seeing more and more flashes of her.

It wasn’t until they were ready to leave the room that Mal spoke again. “You aren’t mad are you? I don’t want you to be mad.”

“I’m not mad. You just caught me by surprise.” That was an understatement. Her head was still spinning and her lips tingled. 

Which brought her back to now, sitting at her computer desk and wondering what had just happened. Finally she picked up her cell phone and dialed Jay. He picked up lazily. “Hello?”

“Hey. Um, what are you doing?” Her voice wavered and cracked.

“Nothing. I’m watching TV. What’s wrong?” He picked up on her anxiety easily.

“Where’s Carlos?” She lowered her voice to a whisper, and Jay responded in kind.

“He’s here. He’s working on one of his kits.” 

Ok, that was good. He would be distracted and content, allowing her to steal Jay away. “Can you leave him in the room and come over here?” She loved Carlos, but she needed to speak to Jay in private.

“Yeah, sure.” His voice grew muffled, but she could still hear him. “C? I’m going out for a little bit. Stay here, ok? I’ll be right back.” Then he was clear again. “I’ll be right there.”

She must have sounded more upset than she realized, because he was there in just a few seconds. “What happened? Are you hurt?”

“No.” And then she burst into tears. Jay was there immediately, wrapping his arms around her. “It’s silly for me to be this upset.”

“Ok…” He looked around. “So what did Mal do?”

Was she that obvious? Evie took the tissue he held out and wiped her eyes. “What makes you think she did anything?”

“She’s gone and you’re sitting here crying. It’s not exactly rocket science.” 

Oh, yeah. She sniffled a bit and started shredding the tissue. “She kissed me.”

His eyes widened. “She kissed you? Why?”

“Because she wanted to.” Evie couldn’t help but laugh. “At least that’s what she told me.”

Something guilty flared in Jay’s eyes, but it was quickly gone. “That’s good, though, right? I mean, you’ve kind of had a lady boner for her for a while now. So why are you so upset?”

“Because I don’t know what her game is. They’re both trying, but they’re both keeping secrets, too. It scares me.”

Jay shrugged. “We have secrets, don’t we? I don’t tell the Pup everything.”

It took her a minute to realize that ‘the Pup’ was Carlos. “I guess that’s true. Mal said that, too. I just don’t want to let her use me.”

He tossed himself backwards on the bed. “Do you really think she is?”

“Maybe.” Or maybe she was being too suspicious. It was the fairy tale that she would meet the right person young, that they would feel the same way, and things would move along with minimal bumps along the way. But she knew that that wasn’t how things usually worked in the real world. The Island was proof of that.

“So, was it at least good? Come on, E, I’m going through a long dry spell right now and I need to live through someone else.” 

“You just want to think about girls making out.” But she smiled a bit as she said it. Jay was right; she needed to focus on the positive.

“Yeah, well, you know.” He winked at her and she smacked him with her pillow, then her dragon for good measure. 

“So, is she like your girlfriend now? Because you might have to tell your father about the whole ‘likes girls’ thing.” He was giving her that worried look again and it melted her heart. 

Jay didn’t care that she wanted to be with girls, he loved her just the same. He didn’t even care that it was Mal she wanted, even though she was from the Island, and had stolen directly from him, and was mortal enemies with his own roommate. He was simply happy because Evie was. His only worry was what her father would think.

“No, she’s not my girlfriend. Do you date every girl who kissed you one time?” She was still confused, not knowing if she wanted more or not. It would be easy to push it off, but Evie wasn’t known for going the easy route. 

“No, but most of the girls I’ve only kissed one time weren’t the same ones I’d been pining over.”

“What do you think I should do? Should I ask her out on a date, or do I let her make the move again?” At least Jay had some dating experience to go off of. 

“Ask her out. I don’t’ have to be fancy, but let her know that you’re into her and that you liked being kissed. Ball’s in your court, E. But tell your father before the date. I’ll even go with you if you want.”

“Ben said he’d go with me, too. Thanks.” Again, she was finding herself drawn to the Island way of doing things. The Auradon way would be songs and dancing and making and enormous spectacle in front of the entire school. The Island way would be quiet and secretive, something just between her and Mal. That would be a million times better.

Jay smiled at her, but there was something strained in it. They had been friends since kindergarten, and she knew when something was up with him. “What’s wrong?”

“Nothing.” But he looked down as he said it. 

“Bullshit. Now what’s wrong?” She raised one finger threateningly, telling him she had no problems resorting to tickling to get what she wanted.

“Did you ever like boys? I mean, it wasn’t like you liked them and just woke up one day and decided you liked girl’s better, right? You always liked girls.” He spoke so quickly that it took her a minute to unjumble his words. 

It had been a while since she had thought about this herself. “Well….I’m not sure. There were boys that I thought were handsome and I might marry when I was younger. There are still boys that I think are handsome. I don’t think that they’re all disgusting and gross or anything. I just couldn’t imagine kissing one of them, and I definitely couldn’t imagine going any further. Why do you ask?”

He flushed a color that neatly matched his beanie and shook his head. “No reason.”

Why did he ever think that he could lie to her and get away with it? “Because you always ask me weird questions like that and then get embarrassed. You know I won’t tell anyone. Did a guy come on to you?” It wasn’t unheard of, even here at Auradon Prep. Then an even more interesting thought struck her. “Wait, did Carlos come on to you?” That would be shocking, but it could explain why Jay had so easily left his little shadow to come to her room. The two boys were seldom separated these days.

“Not exactly.” He gave another uncomfortable squirm. “Ok, fine, no he didn’t. He hasn’t done anything wrong.”

“So what happened? Is he alright?” Or maybe Carlos wasn’t the problem at all. 

“He’s fine. It’s just…I had this freaky dream that he came on to me and I liked it. In the dream I liked it, not after I woke up. “

Oh. Honestly, boys and their overblown fears about their sexuality. “All kinds of weird things happen in dreams. I’ve had dreams that I was with men before. If you weren’t interested in him after you woke up, it doesn’t really mean anything.” She gave him a hug, noticing that he was still pretty tense. She kept her tone even and non-judgmental. “Are you interested in him?”

“No!” I mean, he’s great and everything, but he’s a guy. I’m not interested in guys like that.”

Well, that told her exactly nothing. “So if Carlos were to come on to you right now, you would tell him to quit it?”

“Yes.” His face was resolute, his voice less so. 

But she didn’t call him on it. It was his job to figure out who and what he wanted, and hers to support him along the way, the same way he had done for her a few years ago. “Then don’t worry about it.”

“Anyway, he doesn’t even like boys in a gay way, so it wouldn’t matter if I did like him.” Jay gave her his goofy smile and relaxed fully.

“Really? Did he give you some sort of clue about the type of girls he likes? Because he looked at me like I had two heads when I tried to ask him.” Evie was not ignorant of the fact that she and Jay were basically having the same conversation she had just had with Mal. Had Carlos said he wasn’t interested in boys, or had Jay just assumed that was the case?

“No, we don’t really talk about stuff like that. He doesn’t act interested in boys, though. Or girls. I think he might just be a really late bloomer on that one.”

Possibly. But there were hidden depths to both Mal and Carlos, and who knew what was really going on in his mind? He could be mentally undressing half of his classmates, male and female.

“Maybe. At least he and Mal aren’t trying to kill each other any more.” A good diplomat always knew when to change the subject. “They’re actually kind of getting along.”

“I noticed that. It’s kind of scary, but they’re being super nice. He’s even going to tutor her in math. Not that I want them to be fighting all the time again or anything, but it’s pretty sudden.” Jay shook his head. “Maybe they’re just tired of the fighting. It has to wear you down eventually.”

That made sense, but Evie didn’t think it was the whole story. They had both decided that getting along was in their best interests. A ceasefire was benefit enough, but, deep down, she knew that there was more. “That could be. I just feel like there’s something we’re not seeing.”

“Maybe they’re planning to take over the world together. I’ll bet they could do it if they tried.” Jay laughed, like it was the funniest thing he could think of. 

Evie didn’t think it was nearly so humorous. Carlos had already proved he could punch a hole in the barrier for his own pleasure, and Mal definitely had some grandiose ideas about what she was going to do with herself. Working together….it could be a disaster. But she didn’t say that. It was only going to make her look paranoid. “So, I heard you were going to be having a little bro-date with Carlos, Ben, and Chad.”

“Yeah. I was pretty surprised when the Pup agreed to it, but that’s good. He needs to make more friends.”

Having the support of the boy who would soon be King could never be a bad thing as far as Evie was concerned. She wanted them all to get along, and she wanted both Mal and Carlos to feel comfortable at the castle. This would help with that. “Where are you taking him?”

“Movies probably. I don’t want anyone to get too rough with him or make him feel weird for not talking. There’s a couple of things out that aren’t super violent or gory.”

It was sweet the way he looked out for Carlos, and did he best to make sure the smaller boy was comfortable at all times. In a way, he was sad that Jay wasn’t attracted to Carlos on a sexual level, because he would have been treated like an absolute prince. He already was. 

“Should I ask Mal to a movie?” That was a good date, right? She couldn’t imagine Mal enjoying going on a picnic, and the other girl had already told her that she couldn’t swim, so the lake was out. If they went to a movie, she could probably hold Mal’s hand, and maybe even sneak a kiss. She blushed again.

Jay, the asshole, noticed immediately. “Ooohh, yeah, the movies. Perfect place to cop a feel. Want me to show you what you can find at the bottom of a box of popcorn? I showed Lonnie over the summer and she was pretty impressed.”

Evie rolled her eyes. “She slapped you and made you take her home.” They had all heard about what Jay was hiding at the bottom of the box of popcorn, which might have had something to do with the fact that Jay hadn’t had a date for a while.

He was completely undeterred. “Well, yeah. But she took a really good long look at it first. So, it’s still kind of a win.”

“Well, if you feel that strongly about it, you can feel free to show Carlos what you found at the bottom of that box.” It was a low blow, especially considering what he had just confessed to her, but she had to stop him somehow. “Besides, I don’t have anything to put in the box to start with.”

“Oh, yeah.” He sized her up and down. “How long do you think you can hold it at chest level? Because I have a better idea-“ 

“Jay!” But she was laughing now. She had a plan for asking Mal out on a date, and she had gotten her first kiss! No matter what happened from here on out, it was going to be a great day.

65656565

 

“You still pissed, Pup?” Jay was pretty sure that he was, but it never hurt to double check. 

The lump under the covers didn’t move. Carlos hadn’t seemed to mind going to speech therapy at first. It was going to Dr. Doppler he hated. But each time he went to speech, he came back a little angrier and more closed off. He wouldn’t give even the smallest clue as to what the problem was, though. 

Not that Jay hadn’t tried. Was it that he disliked the therapist? Was he frustrated because he couldn’t speak and they kept pushing him to try? Did he just not like being forced to attend more sessions on top of his schoolwork? 

All his gentle prodding earned him was a filthy look and further sulking on Carlos’ part. Jay finally learned to just leave him alone and let the other boy unwind by working on one of his inventions.

Today was the first time that he had just curled up in bed and refused to get up. It was kind of heartbreaking. But when Jay brought the game controller over to try and get him moving again, Carlos snarled at him, complete with bared teeth and retreated under the covers. 

Ok, Jay could take the hint. And that wasn’t even a hint. It was a big red sign saying ‘don’t fucking touch me’. So he had backed off with a gentle reminder that he was there whenever Carlos was ready.

They had been in that holding pattern for an hour or so. Carlos was too restless to be sleeping, but if he wanted to hide under there for a while, so be it. But if he didn’t start getting ready soon, they were both going to miss Tourney practice. “Pup?” He started to walk over to the bed, only to jump back when something came flying at his face. “Fuck, Carlos, you almost hit me!”

The tossed object was a textbook, and Jay supposed hitting him had kind of been the point. “Ok, I can take a hint! But if you want to go to practice today, you need to get dressed because I’m leaving in half an hour with or without you.”

Carlos moped for another five minutes or so, but eventually rolled out of bed and started getting ready. He liked running laps and warming up with the team, and they had accepted him as one of their own. No one picked on him, tripped him, or was forceful in any way. He was kind of like their mascot now. When he was done with his part, he sat by Coach, watching them practice and work. Now and then, he would seek Coach’s attention, pointing and gesturing. 

Jay gave him time to get dressed and ready before speaking again. “Can you just tell me what the problem is? Maybe I can help fix it.” 

Carlos crossed his arms over his chest and glared, but Jay waited him out. Finally he raised one hand and spelled a word. FRUSTRATED.

“Because they keep wanting you to do things you can’t.” Jay really didn’t know what to say. He couldn’t really imagine what it must be like to be pushed and pushed when you knew full well that you couldn’t perform. Jay knew that even though it was called speech therapy, they did work on and evaluate everything that that involved his mouth. Eating, drinking with a straw, anything that might cause him trouble. He whistled and used a bubble wand and stuck out his tongue. But since Carlos seemed to do all of those things without issue, so they all knew it was really about the speech.

Again, he got that strange, evaluating look, like Carlos wanted to tell him something, but didn’t quite trust him enough. But he nodded vaguely and packed up his backpack. He would do his homework while Jay had his actual practice.

“Don’t you want a jacket? You’re going to be sitting a lot and its windy today.” 

A head shake. Jay had noticed that Carlos was either not very affected by the weather or had long since learned that it didn’t matter anyway.

But you could work around him if you knew what to do. “Ok. Whatever.” Carlos might not want his own jacket, but he wouldn’t turn down Jay’s if it was sitting there on the bleachers. It was kind of a thrill to see Carlos in his jacket, which was about 4 sizes too big for him. It made him feel like he was being a good caretaker and friend. 

“So, tutoring Mal tonight? How did that happen?” Jay didn’t want to sound too nosy, but he couldn’t help himself. It was just so out of nowhere. 

Carlos shrugged and signed back. BECAUSE I AM BEING NICE.

Jay raised his eyebrows. “Really? Because you are being nice? Is that the only reason?”

Sensing that he wasn’t quite being believed, Carlos tried again. EVIE WILL BE HAPPY. I WANT EVIE HAPPY.

That was more believable. Jay still suspected that Carlos had a bit of a crush on Evie. Maybe not a sexual type crush, but he was very attached to her and the idea of making her happy.

“That’s sweet. Are you going to be able to do it without there being some sort of fight?”

Carlos grinned and shrugged, which needed to interpretation. Maybe, Jay. Maybe not. 

“Fair enough. You ready to go?” When Carlos nodded he opened the door. “Let’s go, then.”

They were usually one of the first ones on the field, and today was no exception. Coach called Carlos over right away, leaving Jay to talk to Chad and Ben. “What in the world are they talking about?”

“Coach is getting his plays fixed and critiqued. That’s why he’s been changing some of them.” Ben was fiddling with his stick. “He must be pretty good at it, because Coach is taking a lot of his suggestions.”

Jay didn’t know why that surprised him. Working on Tourney plays was exactly the sort of thing that would appeal to Carlos and his logical mind. Before he could say anything, though, the whistle blew, and they were all sent down to the field, Carlos included.

Warm-ups took ran quickly, between laps and running speed drills. Chad and Ben were having a lively debate over which movie the four of them were going to go see, and Carlos was jumping back and forth between them, gesturing and doing his best to give an opinion. Jay wanted to interpret and help, but he forced himself to hold back. Carlos had this. He was making himself understood to the best of his abilities, and it seemed to be working. They were both listening to him and taking his opinions into account. For the first time, Jay felt like he was seeing Carlos be normal, the way he would have been if he had been taken with the rest of the kids. 

Then he heard a sound that made his blood run cold. Carlos hadn’t heard it yet, so Jay jumped into action. “Carlos! Come here!” If he could just get a grip on the other boys before he heard it too…

But it was the wrong thing to do. If he had kept his voice calm and collected, Carlos would have walked right over. But when Jay panicked and shouted, it put Carlos on high alert. Something was wrong, and he had to figure out what it was. 

In the silence that had fallen, it was easy for all of them to hear Dude’s bark. The color drained from Carlos’ face, leaving his freckles standing out in sharp relief. The look of betrayal on his face tore Jay’s heart apart. Then he bolted. 

Ben moved to try to trip or stop him, but Carlos easily spun away and kept going. He was off the field in seconds, which was bad enough, but he was headed for the fence that bordered the woods at the edge of the schools property. Before any of them could even think about giving chase, he was over that as well and gone. 

“Fuck.” Chad’s voice seemed to echo around the field, breaking the paralysis that had settled over them all. Coach grabbed his phone, calling for both security and Fairy Godmother. This wasn’t the first time a student had run for the woods, but it was usually a planned running away, with extra food and supplies. Carlos didn’t even have a jacket.

But sending security out to the woods wasn’t going to help. While Jay didn’t doubt that they would easily run Carlos down, he was afraid of what they would have to resort to to get him back to the dorms. It had taken days for him to be comfortable with Jay, and weeks to accept other people. He was never going to just go to a bunch of strange adults who were yelling and chasing him around. 

Dude finally hit the field, bouncing around and barking frantically. He was used to hanging around during practices and having fun with the players. Since Carlos had arrived, with his absolute phobia of, the dog was forced to stay inside during practices. Jay had hoped to very slowly and gently introduce them to each other, with Dude kept on a leash and under control, so that Carlos would see that Dude was nothing to be feared. Instead Carlos had seen a dog running straight at him, trying to rip his throat out. Jay doubted that Dude had even gotten close enough for Carlos to see how small he was. 

“Coach!” Jay flung his arm up. “I need to try and go get him!”

“Fine, take Chad and Ben with you and try not to die. The rest of you get back to work.”

Jay grabbed his jacket and took off after Carlos, trying to trace the path the other boy had taken. With any luck at all, Carlos would have stopped before he actually went into the woods. The fence would serve as a barrier between Carlos and the dog he thought was chasing him. Maybe that would be enough.

It wasn’t. There was no sign of Carlos anywhere. “Fuck.” Jay kicked the fence as hard as he could. “Fuck!”

“Ok, calm down.” Ben took off his jacket and tied it around the fence. “We’ll go around to the gate and let ourselves out, and then come back to my coat. Then we’ll know for sure where he went into the woods.”

It was a smart plan. Ok, he needed to calm down and focus. Him throwing a tantrum and kicking things wasn’t going to help either him or Carlos. “Right.”

They had been roaming these woods for years, so none of them feared being lost. But that didn’t mean that Carlos wouldn’t be. Or worse, he wouldn’t get lost, but he would simply keep moving and not come back. Carlos didn’t say much about his life on the Island, but Jay got the impression that he had basically raised himself. If he could raise himself on the Island to the age he was, he would have zero trouble raising himself the rest of the way in Auradon. 

“Carlos!” Chad called as loudly as he could, hoping for a response. 

Jay and Ben joined in. “Carlos? Carlos!” He whistled as loudly as he could, hoping that it would carry over a longer distance than his voice would. 

He could already feel the futility of it all. The woods were so big, and Carlos could have run in any direction. He was fast, and he had the extra speed and endurance that panic brought. 

Carlos now knew that there was a dog, the thing he feared most, on campus. Why would he want to come back at all? Auradon Prep had been a safe place for him, but now that was no longer the truth.

Still they kept looking and calling, hoping for even the smallest response. There was nothing but the trees. Chad shook his head. “This is a nightmare.”

It was. The wind had picked up again, whipping Jay’s hair into his face and preventing their voices from carrying.

Eventually, they were joined by both the security from the school and the Police force from Auradon. A missing teenager was a fairly unusual event, and the fact that it was one of those Island kids caused a greater response than usual. 

As soon as they all showed up with flashlights, and 4-wheelers, Jay knew that they wouldn’t be finding Carlos tonight. It was too many people, which meant too much noise and movement. 

But he refused to give up. It was only when it got dark and everyone else was packing in that he had to admit defeat. He would have stayed out all night, looking, but the adults insisted.

What made it the most painful, though, was he was 100% sure that they were very close to where Carlos was hiding. After spending so much time together, he had developed a sixth sense about Carlos and where he was in the dorm room at any given time, and he could sense it now. If he could just get the adults to leave for a little bit, he stood a chance to solve this problem. 

But no one was going to leave a 16 year old boy alone in the woods (despite the fact that they were ready to do it to Carlos.), and they were insistent that Jay leave with them. 

“Fine.” He stripped his jacket off and laid it on a nearby rock. “Carlos! Carlos! I’m leaving my jacket here in case you get cold. I’m coming back tomorrow, so if you can hear me, stay where you are. I’ll come to you.”

He waited a few more minutes, hoping that Carlos would realize that he was going to have to spend the night outside unless he made a move. 

Eventually, though, he had to get on one of the 4-wheelers and leave. Jay’s eyes stung, but he wasn’t going to give in and cry. He had nothing to cry about. He wasn’t the one who was stuck outside for the night. He wasn’t the one who had had his entire sense of safety shaken. 

Nothing spread around Auradon Prep like gossip, and everyone knew what had happened with Carlos by the time he got back. Evie was already in their room, pacing frantically. She looked past Jay, hoping that they had both returned. “You didn’t find him.” It was flat, not a question.

“No. They wouldn’t let me stay and keep looking.” He sat down on his bed. “He was just gone before I could do anything.

“He’s like smoke.” Mal’s voice was in the doorway. “You try to grab him and he just slides through your fingers. He’s always been that way.”

This morning, Jay would have said that they had moved past that, and Carlos knew to come to him if something went wrong. And maybe if it had been anything other than a dog, that was what would have happened. But now Carlos was lost in the acres and acres of woods that surrounded Auradon Prep.

But Mal had known Carlos the longest, and she might have some suggestions. “Do you know where he might go? Where would he go on the Island when he ran away from home?”

The other girl shrugged. “He ran away from home more often than her lived there.”

That redirection appeared to be a classic Island move. Carlos did the same thing when he didn’t feel like answering a question. “That’s not what I asked. I asked where you thought Carlos might go.”

She smiled at him, a little twist of her lips that said she was pleased that she had seen through her smokescreen. “He’ll go to where people are. Not because he likes them, but because that’s what he does. He can get food from the trash, he can steal from the shops, and he’ll find a building to sleep in. That’s what he always did at home.”

“Do you think he’ll come back here once he gets calmed down? I mean, this is home to him now.”

“He’s not coming back. Now that he knows there’s a dog here, he’s absolutely gone. He doesn’t do anything that he doesn’t want to, period.” She shrugged. “Sorry.”

“It’s ok. That’s kind of what I expected. So, if I were to be looking for him, I should be in town and looking in abandoned buildings.”

“Yep. But I would be very careful about just going in there. When you get around Carlos and his private spaces, things have a way of….exploding on you.”

Judging by the speed in which Carlos could build just about anything, Jay wasn’t too surprised. “I’ll keep that in mind.”

The three of them sat together for a while, but there wasn’t much left to say. Carlos was gone, and they all felt his absence keenly. Even Mal was twitchy and disconcerted, when he would have thought she wouldn’t care at all. 

Eventually, though, it was curfew and the girls had to leave. Jay hadn’t spend a night alone in years, since the two years in between Aziz moving in at Auradon Prep and when it had been his own turn to leave. He had roomed with several other boys, and Chad for the past three years. Even though Carlos didn’t talk, he was at least a presence in the room. Now it felt too large and empty, almost echoing. 

Even though there was no one to tell him to do it, Jay picked up his side of the room and made sure everything was in it’s place. If Carlos did decide to come home, he wanted him to at least feel welcome. 

He laid down and crossed his arms over his chest, sighing miserable. “Please, Carlos. Be safe and come home.”

6565656

As soon as Jay and those strange men were gone, Carlos climbed down out of the tree he had settled in and picked the jacket up. It was too big on him, coming over his hands, and dropping to almost mid-thigh, but that didn’t matter. It was warm and would be able to serve multiple purposes once he figured out where he was going.

Even though several hours had passed since he had first heard the monster, he was still trembling, and his heart pounded every time the thought about it coming straight for him. 

He had known that there were….dogs, in Auradon. Cruella had told him about them a bunch of times. He even knew that Anita and Roger had them in their house. But the dogs had their own place at the back of the house and their own door to the backyard. He didn’t like to see them putting themselves in danger by letting those dogs near them at all, but he guessed they had to be the ones to make that choice. He was sure they wouldn’t be too happy with the danger he was putting himself in by building things like bombs either. 

But no one had told him that there were dogs on campus. How many times had he walked around campus alone, day or night, without even knowing he had to watch for wild animals? They told him he was safe there, and that turned out to be a fucking lie!

He didn’t know why that upset him so much. Everyone lied, everyone. They did it on the Island, and they did it here in Auradon. He knew that the only person he could count on was himself. 

So why had he betrayed his own rules and let himself trust Jay? Because he was stupid, that was why. Jay had known that dog was there. He hadn’t been surprised when it showed up at all. He had actually yelled at Carlos like it was somehow his fault that there was a monster running around loose. Jay had been really nice to him so far, even when he didn’t need to be, so that yelling had stung.

Whatever. He didn’t need Jay. He didn’t need anyone who was going to lie to him and yell at him for trying to keep himself safe from that creature. He appreciated the jacket, and he had absolutely zero intention of giving it back. He was going to need it where he was going.

He had never been in these woods before, but he wasn’t afraid. He had long since learned how to orient himself by using the stars. It was actually much easier here in Auradon, because there was less fog and pollution to obscure his vision. He found the Guide Star easily, because it never moved. It always pointed north. The city was east of the school, so all he had to do was keep it on his left and he would be fine. It would be a long walk, but he had taken long walks before. 

But he needed to keep moving. They would be back to this spot as soon as the sun came up, and he needed to be gone from here before that happened. The longer he spent here, the greater his chances of being chased down. 

He quickly oriented himself and started walking. It was strange to be here in the woods, all by himself. There was no privacy on the Island. It was too small for the number of people who had been banished there in the first place, and once the children started coming, it got even worse. He could find places where he was hidden, but never places where he was alone. Even when he was in his warehouse, the noise outside was constant. People screamed, people fought, and, once Gaston’s bar let out for the night, there were drunken singing and brawls in the street. It was just part of the background noise there, something he had learned to filter out. 

It was noisy in the dorms, too. People played music and stomped around in the hallways and above him. There was the occasional fight, though nothing like he was used to hearing on the Island. There was even one time when he and Jay walked by someone’s room and heard the unmistakable sounds of two people fucking. Jay was embarrassed by it, but Carlos just shrugged. It wasn’t like he had never heard it before. 

But there was nothing like that here in the woods. He could hear the wind blowing, and a few animals making noises. None of those bothered him. As long as the dogs kept away, he would put up with a few owls and foxes. 

He kept moving east, but remained aware of his surroundings. He thought he could make the majority of the walk tonight, but he was going to need to find water. He could hold off on looking for food right now, especially since there would be plenty of it when he got to the city. Jay might throw a fit when he ate moldy food, but Jay wasn’t going to be there to stop him, was he? Maybe if he wanted to dictate what Carlos was supposed to eat, he shouldn’t let wild animals chase him around. 

His focus paid off within the hour, as he found a stream. It was dark out, but he couldn’t risk a fire to boil it. The stream was fairly fast moving, which was good, and had no strange odors, so he was just going to have to take a chance. The risk of getting dehydrated before he made it to the city was much greater than the chance of him getting sick. He had a pretty tough stomach. He got himself a good drink. It would be nice if he had something to put water in, but there was no use in worrying about something that he couldn’t change. 

It didn’t take long for him to get back on Isle time. When he was on the Isle, he didn’t do anything by hours or minutes or days. He didn’t get up by the clock in the mornings. Instead, he got up at the time he felt he was least likely to run into Cruella. Unless it was time for the barges to come, which was announced with a great deal of fanfare, he never thought about the day of the week, or even the month of the year. In the winter, it was cold and he had to take extra precautions to avoid leaving tracks in the snow that someone could follow. In the summer, it was hot and he had to make sure he had extra water on hand to keep his things cooled down. The names of the months didn’t matter at all.

In some ways, the Auradon way was better. Carlos liked schedules and knowing what was coming at any given time. It was good to see that the things he didn’t like would be over at a specific time, and it made it easier to keep to a strict routine. And it helped him blend in by never having to be either the first or the last to show up anywhere. 

But it was restrictive, the same way a lot of things here were. The teenagers here were treated like babies, instead of the adults that they almost were. They couldn’t even go into the city alone, where it was safe and everyone was helpful. He had been roaming the marketplace on the Island before he was 8, where he was surrounded by pure evil. 

And he had survived. He hadn’t been kidnapped, he hadn’t been raped, and he hadn’t even suffered any permanent damage. He had learned to be aware of his surroundings, and be completely self sufficient. His schoolmates were almost adults, and they had no skills to take care of themselves. It was amazing. 

The further he walked, the more he felt his old self coming back. He was losing Auradon Carlos, the good boy they wanted to force him to be and getting back Island Carlos, the person that he really was. He was free and he loved it. 

Part of being on Island time as opposed to Auradon time meant he had to be attuned to his surroundings rather than a clock. It was starting to get light in front of him, so it was very early in the morning, almost sunrise. He stopped and studied the horizon. 

Ok, where did he go from here? He could keep going, which would get him where he was going within a few hours of the sun coming up. Or he could start looking for a place to settle down and wait out the day, coming into the city after dark.

Neither one was ideal. While he might have been the invisible man on the Isle, he wasn’t here in Auradon. He was easily recognizable by his hair and his silence. And he had a sneaking suspicion that the news of his bolting would reach the city by first thing tomorrow, if it hadn’t already. People would be actively looking for him, which made his odds of getting in unnoticed pretty slim. On the Isle, they would have ratted him out out of meanness. Here they would do it because they claimed to be so concerned about his welfare, but the end result was the same: he was going to be found out and returned to Auradon Prep.

He would have more success if he came in under the cover of darkness. It would give him a chance to scout out some buildings that he might be able to move into without being noticed. 

But staying where he was had its risks as well. The woods were going to be the first place that they looked for him. There were dozens of searchers, and they had vehicles, so they might be able to cover the entire woods and catch him. He could always go up into the trees like he had tonight, but he was going to need to sleep sometime. If he fell asleep and fell out of a tree, he could be seriously injured. Then where would he be?

No matter what he did, he was screwed, but it seemed safer to wait things out. His mother had a saying, one of the few useful things she had taught him. Fools rush in. Carlos was very determined not to be a fool. He was a light sleeper, and the odds that he would her searchers approaching were good. 

He slowed down and started looking for a spot to settle down. Near water, a flat spot to curl up, and some easily climbed trees to get into. The trees here were big and had thick leaves that would shield him from prying eyes. The trees at home were little and stunted, and they almost never had any leaves. 

It took a while to find the right spot, but that was fine. Carlos had long since figured out how to be patient. 

The sun was close to up by the time he was settled in the right spot. He leaned back against the nearest try and tried to sort out what had just happened to him. As much as he hated to admit it, he was going to miss being at the school. It was good to always know where he was going to sleep, and that he could always have food available. He was hungry now, but it was easy to push that aside. These past few weeks had been the only time in his life where he hadn’t been hungry to one degree or another.

Even though he was upset with Jay, he did appreciate the jacket. It helped keep him warm once he settled down. It wasn’t the best place he had slept, but it wasn’t the worst either.

With a heavy sigh, he tucked an arm beneath his head to act as a pillow and closed his eyes. Fuck this place.


	17. Chapter 17

Right or Wrong, Make a Choice. The Road of Life is Paved with Flat Squirrels who Couldn’t Make a Decision.

 

‘How is one 16 year old boy managing to evade the entire Auradon Police Force? This is absolutely ludicrous!” Her father pounded his fist against something heavy, no doubt his desk. “He is a child and they are dozens of adults! It shouldn’t be possible!”

Evie pressed her ear to the door as hard as she could, listening intently. It had been two weeks since Carlos had bolted from Tourney practice, and no one had seen him since. 

The first night, she had been deeply worried about Carlos being alone in the woods. He could get lost, he could fall and be hurt, he could freeze or be attacked by a wild animal. He could eat the wrong thing and end up poisoning himself. There were a million ways for something to go wrong in those woods.

It had never occurred to her, though, that they wouldn’t find him the next day. Her father had mobilized the entire Auradon Prep security force, as well as the Auradon Police. They had gone over the school grounds with a fine toothed comb (though Evie could have told them that he wasn’t going to be there. In his mind, he was no longer safe there, and he was moving on.), and come up with nothing. 

Once they determined that he was actually gone, they moved on to the woods. Again, they came up empty. Carlos was simply gone, as if he had never been there at all. 

“I took him off of that Island because I wanted him to have a better life here. I didn’t do it so he could run wild in the woods with no supervision! If that’s what’s going to happen, he would probably be safer back on the Island. At least he was in familiar surroundings there.” Her father sounded exhausted. “That poor kid is completely out of his element and I’m terrified for him.”

By the end of the day following his disappearing act, they had to admit that he wasn’t in either place. From there, they moved on to the city, looking everywhere for him. Posters were put up with his picture, asking that anyone who saw him not approach or chase him, but contact the police instead.

There had been a few sightings of him, but none had panned out or even been confirmed. Basically, they were still sitting at square one. 

Personally, Evie thought that Carlos was in the city. It wasn’t so much the sightings as the fact that he was a creature of routine and habit. The Island was basically one big city, and Carlos was going to return to what was familiar to him. 

“Every day this week.” The voice was right in her ear and Evie jumped. Ben put a hand over her mouth before she could scream. “He doesn’t know what to do.”

In the study, her father slammed down the phone and used a string of words that Evie only knew thanks to Mal. She and Ben exchanged looks and ran for it, heading back up to his room before they could get caught. 

Once they were in there, Ben shook his head. “This is a nightmare. The school’s never lost a student before. Meryn was the worst, and she wasn’t even gone for two days. Parents are freaking out about it. They feel like if Carlos did it, their kids could do it, too.

Evie rolled her eyes. Yes, Carlos’ defection was still the talk of the school, two weeks later, but it wasn’t in the way that her father thought it was. The other students were impressed with his bravery, and in awe of the fact that he was still gone, but it was pretty much agreed upon that he was absolutely crazy. None of them wanted to risk sleeping outside, or being without phones or internet, or attempting to take care of themselves. 

But none of them had ever tried it before, either. This was the life that Carlos had lived before coming to Auradon, and he didn’t seem to mind living it again. Auradon had been a nice vacation, but he was bound and determined to return home. 

“Do you think he’ll come back?” Ben flopped backwards on his bed, stretching his arms behind his head. “Really, I mean, not just what you tell Dad.”

She had thought about this for two weeks, and she still hadn’t come to any sort of conclusion. Carlos had formed bonds and attachments here in Auradon, but were they enough to override the freedom he had to be craving? Seeing Dude had set him off, and forced him to make a choice, but he could have been planning and evaluating his choices for weeks now. 

“I don’t know. I do think that if he’s coming back, it will be by his choice, not because we manage to chase him down. I don’t think we’re going to find him, period. He’s better at hiding than we are at finding.”

Ben shook his head. “I don’t know how Dude got loose. He was supposed to be staying the carriage house until we could get Carlos used to the idea of having a dog around.”

She shrugged. “If it didn’t happen then, it would have happened eventually. It’s unfortunate that it happened like this, when no one had a chance to grab him, but it is what it is. He’s going to have to learn to coexist with Dude or he’s not going to make it.” It hurt, but it was the truth.

He waited a few more minutes. “Are you ready for this?”

No. Not in a million years. “I think we’re better off waiting. Dad’s so stressed out already that I don’t want to add to it. Let’s worry about getting Carlos safe first.”

He wasn’t impressed. “Nope. You just said that you don’t even know if he’s coming back at all. Plus, there’s absolutely nothing you can do about him and his situation right now. You’re just looking for an excuse.”

“I am not. I’m just trying to do what’s best for all of us. This whole thing doesn’t need to be addressed right now. I’m thinking of others instead of myself.”

“You’re being a coward.” There was nothing cruel, or even accusatory in his voice. He just said it flatly, like it was a fact. 

That stung. “I’m not.”

“You are. You’re brave enough to take on one of the wild Island kids, you’ve told Dad off, and you decided that you were going to leave home and move into the dorms with or with out our parent’s permission. Why are you afraid of them now?” His blue eyes were fixed on her. “They’re our parents. They love us.”

Evie smoothed her skirt down miserably. Ben was right. She was being a coward when she had always prided herself on being brave. She had done those things, and she was not going to give in to fear now. “Ok. We do it right now.”

He grinned at her. “Good. I’m going to go get Mom. I’ll meet you in the dining room.”

Easy for him to smile. He wasn’t the one going to the gallows. But she was gong to be brave and go get her father. His door was still closed when she got there, but he wasn’t talking, so he must have hung up the phone. “Daddy?”

“Come on in, Sweetie.” Her father sounded exhausted and she crept into the room. “No news today. I just don’t know where he’s hiding.”

“It…it’s not Carlos. I wanted a minute to talk to you and Mom in the dining room. Ben’s getting her.”

He read her trembling voice and tear filled eyes in an instant, knowing that things were serious. He rose and wrapped his arms around her. “What’s wrong, Evie? Has someone hurt you?”

“No. I just want to talk to you.” She squared her shoulders. “It’s important.”

“Of course.” He kept his hand on her shoulder and allowed her to lead him out of the room and into the dining room. Before she could open the door, her father squeezed her gently. “Evie?”

When she looked back, he lowered his head so they were face to face. “Are you pregnant? Is it Jay’s? Oh, goodness. It’s not a baby deVil is it?”

That was so far from happening that she couldn’t help but laugh. “No, I’m not pregnant.”

He released a deep breath. “Ok. That was my biggest worry. You’re just a baby girl yourself, and you are too young to make me a grandfather. But I want you to understand that there is nothing that you can say or do in there that will make me love you any less than I do. You are my girl, my only daughter. I love you.”

It was exactly what she had wanted him to say, but couldn’t let herself believe it until the entire truth was out. “I love you, too.”

Belle rushed to her the minute the door was open. “Are you ok? Ben sounded so worried!”

“I’m ok. I didn’t want to scare you guys.” She took a few deep breaths to try and calm her racing heart. 

“She’s not pregnant.” She thought her father might be trying to whisper, but they all heard it. 

Ben cracked up, which made her laugh a little as well. Ok, it was kind of funny. At least her getting pregnant outside of marriage wasn’t going to be a concern after this. Her mother gave them all a dirty look. “It’s not funny! If you were pregnant, honey, it wouldn’t matter. We would still love you, and we would love the baby, too. But it would be preferable if you waited until you were married. That applies to both of you.”

Once it had been firmly established that Evie was not pregnant, by Jay, Carlos, or anyone else, her parents turned to her expectantly. Her throat stuck, and she cleared it nervously. She was going to be strong and not cry.

“It’s…it’s…I don’t want to get married to any of the men who’ve asked for me!” She blurted it out and instantly regretted it. Why had she said that? The problem wasn’t those men, the problem was all men.

Her father softened. “Honey, no one is going to make you get married to anyone you don’t want to! If you don’t approve a man, that’s it. You are our daughter, not an animal to be traded and bartered. You are too young and smart for marriage right now. I want you to finish your schooling, and then go on to higher education before you even think about it. The right man will understand and be proud to have such an intelligent and educated wife. Did someone say something to you about a marriage? Because I am not considering a match for you, period. Every man who has asked for your hand has been turned down flat. When you are older, you will choose your own suitor, the same way your mother chose me.”

Behind their father’s back, Ben spun his hand in a ‘come on, get on with it’ gesture. She wanted so badly to flip him off, but she couldn’t do that in front of their parents. “It’s not that I think you would just sell me to someone, or that you would let any man have me. It’s not that I don’t want the men who’ve asked for me. It’s that I don’t want any man.”

There, it was out. She had possibly just blown her entire family to pieces, but she didn’t care. Even if the worst happened, she had stepped out and been honest with herself and her family. And it felt good. She forced herself to raise her eyes. If she was going to be disowned and thrown out, she would make them look her in the face when she did it.

Her father looked completely baffled. “Evie, what are you saying?”

“For Goodness sake, Adam, you know exactly what she’s saying. Evie is a lesbian.” Her mother rolled her eyes. “That is what you’re saying, isn’t it sweetheart?”

There was no anger or disgust in her voice, just some exasperation with her husband being obtuse. 

“I….yes.” Evie didn’t think she had ever used the word lesbian before. She had never even thought it. “That’s exactly what I’m saying.”

Her father released a deep breath. “Oh, thank Goodness that’s all it is! I thought that something horrible had happened. If you would rather give me a daughter-in-law than a son-in-law, that’s no problem. We’ll find you the most beautiful, clever, and perfect girl in all the kingdoms. Nothing less for my little girl.”

That was it? No yelling, no crying, no trying to convince her that she just hadn’t met the right man yet, and that it would all fall into place when she did? He was just going to accept it? “You’re not mad at me?”

“Of course not. I’m not going to tell you who to love. And I already told you that there is nothing you can do that will make me not love you to pieces. Ok?”

Now she was crying as she threw herself into his arms. This was the best she could have hoped for. They still loved her. Or did they? She turned to her mother. “Mom?”

Belle shook her head. “Evie, my precious girl, I’ve known for years already. Mommies know these things about their children. I was waiting for you to be ready for tell us yourself.”

“Wait, you knew?” Her father was amazed. “Ben, you don’t look very surprised. Did you know, too?”

Ben shrugged. “We’re twins. We don’t keep any secrets from each other.”

“Was I the only one who didn’t know?” He shook his head in amazement. 

Her mother laughed. “Daddies are always the last to notice that their little girls are grown up.”

“I guess.” He rubbed his temples. “When you find that special girl, you bring her by for dinner, alright? We’ll be glad to meet her.”

Evie glanced over at Ben who shook his head and drew his finger across his throat. He had a point. She had already given her father one shock tonight. Telling him that he had found that special girl and it was Mal might prove too much for him. She didn’t want to be the one who gave the King a heart attack.

So she looked down demurely. “I will.” 

He hugged her again. “I’m glad that you told me. That took courage, and you did splendidly never, ever want for you to feel afraid to tell me anything. I love you.”

“I love you, too.”

5656565656

 

Why was it so quiet in here? The TV was on, there was music playing, and Jay could hear people in the other rooms, but it was still too quiet. He missed Carlos moving around, and tinkering on his inventions, or making that strange humming noise that seemed to fill the room in a comforting way. Now the room was silent and still, like a tomb. 

Normally, this was the time that he and Carlos hung out together and did their homework. It wasn’t as hard as it had been, especially the math, but he couldn’t focus. It was just…he was lonely.

Carlos had blown into his life like a black and white hurricane. He desired very little and asked for even less, but he didn’t need to. There was just something about him that made you want to take care of him, even though you knew he could take care of himself. 

Which was a good thing, because he was back to doing in now. Evie thought that he was in the city, but Jay wasn’t sure. Carlos struck him as more the type that would move around as much as possible, and Jay didn’t think he would limit himself to just the city. It was just as likely that he was roaming the school grounds at night.

Not that Evie really cared. She had Mal now, and the two of them were obsessed with each other. He had kind of thought that lesbians would be awesome. Girls making out and having naked pillow fights? Sign him up!

As it turned out, though, none of that was happening. Evie had finally told her parent about liking girls, but she hadn’t told them about Mal, and they hadn’t told any of their friends either. So they were spending a lot of time locked in their rooms giggling and doing whatever it was you do when you were on a girl date.

So basically, gay couples were just like straight ones. The exact same thing had happened when Ben started dating Audrey. He was so obsessed with his new girlfriend that he forgot everyone else existed, including his best friends. The newness wore off eventually. 

If Carlos had still been around, it wouldn’t have really mattered. The two of them could have hung out together and had fun. But Carlos wasn’t here. Ben was busy with doing future king shit, and Chad was rooming with Doug now. It fucking sucked. 

Then he felt bad for being so selfish. He should be happy for Evie. Things had gone perfectly with telling her family (which was exactly what he had been telling would happen for at least a year and a half), and she had even found someone who she liked well enough to date.

And he really did kind of like Mal. She was whip-smart, and tough, and really pretty funny. And to be honest, it wouldn’t hurt Evie to get a little down and dirty in her life. She was probably the best behaved girl he had ever met. She almost never talked back to her parents, never shoplifted, never skipped school, never wanted to do anything that could get her in trouble.

Mal had changed that. Because of her, Evie had stood up to and actually defied her father, she had moved out of the castle and into the dorms, and she had come out to her family. Even if he had hated her, he would have at least put up with her because she had done so much for Evie.

But that didn’t change the fact that he was lonely and bored. He was supposed to go to the movies with Chad and Ben today, but he didn’t want to go. He mostly just wanted to sulk. He had even offered his ticket to Doug, but the other boy had already made plans. 

So he was going to the movies. At least it would get him out of the room, and give him a chance to look around. Maybe Carlos would see him and come to him once he didn’t feel chased around any longer. 

He could draw hope from the fact that someone had taken the jacket he had left behind. Hopefully that someone was Carlos and his nice jacket wasn’t torn up and lining a wolf den somewhere. But he was pretty sure Carlos had taken it. Or maybe he was just hoping that that was the truth.

Someone pounded on the door. “Jay! Get off your sulking ass and come on! You aren’t going to make things better by throwing a tantrum. Let’s go.” Chad pounded again. “Now, you moron!”

“Ok!” If he didn’t get up, he knew that Chad would refuse to leave. He grabbed a jacket and his wallet and went out. Ok, he was going to put on his happy face and get through this. It wasn’t Chad or Ben’s fault that things had gone wrong.

Chad was standing there waiting for him. “Took you long enough. What were you doing in there, Jay? Were you having a long fantasy about a certain Princess? Evie, perhaps?”

“For someone who seems determined to sleep his way through Auradon Prep, you have an unhealthy level of interest in my masturbatory activities. Is that what you think about on lonely nights?”

Chad smirked. “Unlike you, I don’t have lonely nights. We might not be roommates any more, but I don’t want you to die of chronic blue balls. That wouldn’t be good and kind, now would it?”

Ok, Jay missed this side of Chad, the one that had no boundaries and even less of a filter. “I think I have a handle on it, Chad.”

“If you had a handle on it, we wouldn’t be having this conversation. Now, come on, Ben’s waiting.” 

Unlike everyone else, Chad didn’t say a word about Carlos. Jay knew that he was curious, and that his missed Carlos as well. Everyone did. But it was a welcome change from the pity, and the worry, and the awkwardness that came along with everyone else. 

Ben was downstairs, standing by the waiting carriage. He looked happy for the first time n forever. Ever since they had started at Auradon Prep, Ben was having to do more and more with his duties as the heir to the throne, which left less time for being a kid with the rest of them. He still got to play Tourney, but only because his mother insisted on it. She wanted him to have at least a small chance at having some normalcy. This year had been the worst. Ben spent almost all of his time at the castle now, leading seminars and sitting in court. Within a few years, they wouldn’t be best friends any longer. He would be the King, and they would be his subjects.

Giving the kingdom over to the eldest son on his sixteenth birthday was apparently some sort of old Florian tradition. Because, yeah, it had worked great so far. King Adam had been a total little prick himself at 16, and managed to get the entire kingdom turned into household objects. Smart. Ben was better then that, but he wasn’t ready to run a kingdom. He hadn’t even known what things were like on the Island. None of them had.

No one had asked him about it, though. He could just hope that Ben didn’t do anything stupid, like his father had. And that maybe they could still have some fun times, like they had before. 

During the ride, the three of them kept up the chatter about nothing in particular. Ben didn’t say anything about Carlos, either, either because he didn’t know what to say or because Chad had told him to shut up. Probably the latter. Not knowing what to say had never stopped Ben in the past, which was the main reason that Evie was the diplomat and he wasn’t. 

Even though he had been sulking, Jay had to admit that it was nice to get off campus and just have fun with some of his friends. They raided the candy store, taking extra care to choose things that could be hidden in pockets and bags and that wouldn’t melt. 

He was picking out some gummy worms when he overheard the staff members talking. “I don’t know how it keeps happening! The place is locked when the last person leaves, and locked in the morning, but somehow things keep coming up missing. Yesterday, all the Reeces Cups were gone. The day before someone got into the cookies. I mean, they were going to have to be thrown away anyway, because they were stale, but where are they going? And why would someone break into a candy store of all places?”

Because someone was hungry and loved peanut butter cups and cookies. Evie had been right: Carlos was in the city, and he was right back to taking care of himself. If Jay went around to other shops, what else would be missing? Blankets? Clothes? More food? Electronics? He knew that Carlos could pick locks, and he was apparently putting that skill to good use.

Hearing that Carlos was around made something in Jay’s chest unclench. The other boy might not actually be safe, but he was still alive and mobile. Not to mention obsessed with his favorite candy. They still had a shot at getting him back. 

In a way, though, he couldn’t help but feel proud of Carlos. He hadn’t let them push him around or make him do things that he hadn’t wanted to do. He definitely hadn’t stuck around when he didn’t think he was safe. He was fighting back the only way he knew how.

Jay just hoped that he knew that he could get home if he needed to, and that he would be welcomed back, no questioned asked. He wished he had some idea of where Carlos was. Even if the smaller boy wouldn’t come to him, Jay could at least have left him so things, the way he had left his jacket.

Honestly wasn’t sure if Carlos would approach him or not. That first night, he would have easily approached if there hadn’t been so many people around. But now he had had plenty of time to go back to the life he had enjoyed on the Island. Only this time it was better for him. Even if he was getting food out of the trash, it was still several days fresher than what he would get on the Isle. Not to mention he was apparently stealing fresh food for himself as well. And all without having any adults making demands on him. This was probably the easiest his life had been so far.

While he paid, Jay made mental note to stay alert and keep an eye out for Carlos. Who knew, maybe he would get a chance to catch him.

Ben and Chad were talking away about the upcoming game. Coach had been working them really hard, drilling them on their new and improved plays until they could have run them in their sleep. They had lost to the Agrabah Anvils the last two times they had played, and he was determined that it wouldn’t happen a third time. 

Ben wasn’t convinced they could pull it off, but Chad had zero doubts. In his mind, they were the best they could possibly be. They had worked harder, had new plays that had never been seen before, so why shouldn’t they win? Jay wished he had even 1/10th of Chad’s confidence. 

The original plan had been to see a different movie, but that had been when they had Carlos going with. The three of them loved horror movies, especially the really gory ones. But he felt weird about taking Carlos one of them. His entire life had been a horror movie. He would either be really freaked out by seeing the blood and violence used as entertainment, or he wouldn’t have any reaction at all. And Jay had no idea which reaction would be more disturbing. 

“Sharktocuda.” Chad’s voice suggested actual reverence for what he was about to see. “It’s going to be amazing.”

Jay had to agree. They quickly pooled and shared their candy while the previews ran. He had been waiting for this particular movie for months, ever since he had seen the preview for it during Roadkill Rampage. 

The movie ended up being terrible, which made it wonderful in Jay’s opinion. You didn’t go to a movie called ‘Sharktocuda’ and expect a cinematic masterpiece. You went to a movie called ‘Sharktocuda’ expecting bad acting, a ridiculous story line, and enough cheesy dialogue to keep them laughing for weeks. This particular movie didn’t disappoint. By the time the Sharktocuda had been shot with a harpoon with dynamite on the end, his mood had lightened significantly. It was especially heartening to see the clutch of eggs at the end, wiggling slightly and wanting to hatch. It all but guaranteed a sequel.

They were even out in enough time to grab some ice cream. Double scoops in a Butterfinger dipped cone. Yum. He couldn’t help but think, though, that Carlos would go absolutely nuts for that type of cone. Once he came back, he was going to make sure he brought Carlos here and let him eat whatever he wanted. A triple scoop if he could manage it.

Maybe it was because he was already thinking about him, but on the way to get ice cream, he suddenly noticed the fliers that were up on nearly every building. MISSING: CARLOS DeVIL. There was a picture, followed by the date he had gone missing, and note on the bottom asking that any sighing be reported to the police and that people refrain from approaching him. There was also a note that there was a large reward for anyone leading to his safe recovery.

The picture was one from when he had first come to Auradon, maybe even from when he was still in the hospital. He looked very, very, small in it, much smaller than he was in real life. And he wasn’t smiling. He was staring right into the camera, eyes hard and his jaw set.

But that wasn’t surprising. He had a couple of dozen shots of Carlos on his phone, and he wasn’t smiling in most of them, either. It was only in the past few weeks that he had become good at smiling on command instead of giving a blank or angry look. 

And he did have a cute smile, even though it was rare to see it unprompted. It was even rarer to see his full on grin, the one he made when he was silently laughing. At first, you had to actually tickle him to get that reaction, but now it was showing more and more often. Jay would do anything to see that grin again. 

“He’ll be back.” Chad noticed what Jay had been distracted by. “Trust me; we haven’t seen the last of deVil.”

Jay shook his head. “I know that they’ll find him eventually. Literally the entire country is looking for him right now. He’s not going to be able to hide forever. But what happens when they do? They can drag him back to the school, but they obviously can’t keep him there. If he wants to leave, they can’t stop him and now they know it. They might now even let him come back.”

“Quit acting like such a whiny little pessimist. If they weren’t going to take him back, they would have moved us back in together. Doug paid for the single, you know.”

He hadn’t known that. He really hadn’t considered Doug’s feelings on the matter at all. Or Chad’s, really. Sorry, Chad. He was about to say it out loud when Ben spoke up.

“They won’t kick him out. Unless he or Mal actually kills someone, they can get away with whatever they want. Everyone loves a beautiful redemption story, and that’s what’s happening here. All of Auradon is way too invested in Carlos and Mal right now for either one of them to get kicked out for something like this. All eyes are on Dad, and if he does anything that makes him look like he’s mistreating or picking on either one of them, it’s not going to go well. He’s totally safe.”

Jay hadn’t looked at it that way, but it did make sense. “I really hope that Mal doesn’t know that. She’s hard enough to control as it is.”

Ben laughed. “Nah, Evie can manage Mal. She’ll whip her right into shape. Maybe literally.” The last part was grumbled under his breath.

Jay wasn’t sure if he was supposed to be turned on by that or not. It was kind of awesome to think about, but it was also kind of like thinking about his family having sex. Imagining Aziz or Carlos whipping someone wasn’t a turn on. It wasn’t! 

He forced his thoughts (and his libido) away from Carlos for the minute. Losing Carlos so quickly after having that freaking dream had really messed him up. It was really the last clear image he had of the other boy, unless he wanted to remember the look of terror and betrayal on his face when he came face to face with Dude. He wasn’t into Carlos sexually, but he would rather think about that than think about him being miserable.

“Come on, Dude. Let’s go.” Chad was unusually gentle about it. “We’re running out of time to get some ice cream.”

None of them would say it out loud, but they were all on high alert, looking for any sign of their missing companion. Maybe if he saw that it was just them, no adults or police in sight, he would be willing to approach.

But there was nothing. Jay wanted to think that it was because he didn’t see them, rather than he was actively avoiding them. Chad talked too much to try and cover the disappointment and Ben tried to get their focus back on the upcoming game. Jay remained quiet and looked out the window. 

Chad and Ben liked Carlos just fine. They were kind to him, and they included him in their activities. But Jay was his roommate. It was just a different relationship. They were tight.

Ben had to get back for some fancy king thing, and Chad had plans with Ally, so Jay was left to his own devices again once they got home. He supposed he could go seek out Evie, but she was probably attached to Mal, and he just didn’t want to look at that. So homework it was. 

There was something incredibly pathetic about doing his homework so early, but he couldn’t think of anything else to do. Chad had returned the X-box, but playing it by himself wasn’t really any fun. 

Since he wasn’t expecting anyone, he jumped about a mile when someone knocked on the door. He knew that it wasn’t Carlos, because the smaller boy would have never knocked. “Who is it?”

“It’s Mal. Can I come in?” Her voice was aiming for sweet, but he heard the undercurrent of steel running through it. It didn’t surprise him. Even when the Island pair were gentle, they were tough as well. He didn’t think he had ever seen one of them completely let their guard down.

“Sure.” He didn’t fully trust her, but he couldn’t deny his curiosity. “Come on in.”

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Mal had to admit that she was a little surprised when Jay agreed to let her in. There was an unspoken agreement that Jay belonged to Carlos, and Mal was to leave him alone. Which was bullshit, because Mal was expected to share Evie whenever Carlos wanted her. She had let it go, because Evie seemed to absolutely adore him, but it still wasn’t fair. 

He looked kind of rough. Not Island rough, but bad for being here in Auradon. She supposed he missed that little fucker. Jay looked her up and down. “What can I do for you, Mal?”

She had to tread carefully. “I need your help.”

“With what?” He straightened up at her request, which made her smirk on the inside. He might not really want to talk to her, but curiosity would get him in the end. It always got everyone in the end.

Jay was strange to her. Maybe it was because she hadn’t spent enough time with him, or maybe he was just strange, but he was entirely too good. With Evie, she saw a little bit of the Island in her. She was a good girl (as much as it pained Mal to admit it), but she still showed some of the traits she would have had if they had left her on the Island, where she belonged. Sure, she coached it as ‘being a diplomat’ but Mal knew what it really was. Evie knew how to manipulate people. She understood how to ferret out their weak points, and exploit them to her advantage. She knew when to dig in, and when to flirt, and how to do it all with a feminine smile on her face. She was just as dangerous as anyone on the Isle, but she had done it with the finesse of someone raised in Auradon. Wow. That was her girl. That was her Evie.

But Jay…she didn’t know. Auradon had completely absorbed him. Any aggression he might have once possessed was channeled solely into sports. He didn’t steal, didn’t fight, didn’t attempt to manipulate and screw other people over. There was nothing of Jafar in him except for his looks, and even those could have come from his mother. There was a picture of her in Jaffa’s room at his house. She had black hair and dark skin like both Jay and Jafar. Her eyes were more like Jay’s though. She looked like she liked smiling, while Jafar usually looked like he needed to poop. Jay smiled a lot. But so did Aladdin. Was Jay like his mother, or his father, or his adopted father? She didn’t know, and it freaked her out. Would she eventually lose the Island part of herself as well?

That wouldn’t happen. Not only because she wouldn’t let it, but because she wouldn’t be here long enough for it. She needed that wand, and she needed it fast. She couldn’t rely on Carlos any longer, if she ever could have, so she was going to have to move forward with the Evie plan. 

Fine with her. Evie was infinitely better company, and Mal was certainly growing fond of her. Not love, because she didn’t do love. But fond. Maybe a bit more than fond. Certainly she wouldn’t object to sharing her Queenship with Evie. Or her bed. The thought made her face heat up.

But she had to catch Evie first. And to catch Evie, she needed to think like someone from Auradon. Hence, she needed Jay. “I need your advice. I want to take Evie out on a date, and I need to know where to take her. What do you guys do for dates here?”

He looked at her for a long time without replying. “Why do you want to go out with Evie?”

Uh-oh, here came the protective big brother. If Jay thought he was going to intimidate her, though, he was wrong. She had stood up to a lot worse on the Island. “Because I like her.”

“Why?” He clearly didn’t approve. “Isn’t there someone else for you to manipulate and terrorize?”

Mal puffed up. “I don’t want anyone else. I want Evie. And I don’t think that she would appreciate hearing you say that about me. If Evie feels terrorized, she must like feeling like that. Anyway, why do you like Carlos?”

“I don’t!” It came out fast and harsh, surprising her. He softened. “I mean, I like him. Just not the same way you like Evie.”

Oooh, she had hit a nerve there, hadn’t she? So Jay didn’t like the thought of being sexual with Carlos. She could certainly swing this to her advantage. “Ok, fine. No gay feelings for the crazy one. But I still need a suggestion for Evie.”

He was still glaring at her, but he did that a lot these days. Apparently being disappointed turned him into a huge dick, which was something he definitely got from Jafar. Evil knew, Jafar was always disappointed with Mal, so she saw that side of him a lot. 

“Take her on a picnic. She’ll go crazy for that sort of romantic thing.” Jay glanced out the window. “You can even do it on the grounds if you want.”

That was the nice Auradon way of reminding her that she wasn’t allowed off the property. Normally it was because of her ‘delicate situation’ as they liked to put it, but right now everyone had to have special permission. They didn’t want to risk anyone following Carlos’ lead. Jay had gotten off campus today, but only because he was in with the future king. 

Well Mal was about to be in with the future queen, so screw him. She couldn’t let him know that, though. “Where on the grounds? I don’t want a bunch of people trampling through my romantic picnic.”

He looked torn, probably between making Evie happy and pissing Mal off. She leaned against the wall, acting like she didn’t care if he told her or not. It worked again, and he stood up. “Come on, I can show you a place.”

Mal followed him with only the slightest hesitation. If Jay took her somewhere dangerous, no one would know where she was. She knew that she would have no trouble taking out Jay, especially with the knife she kept hidden in her boot at all times, but he could be walking her into in ambush, and she needed to be prepared for that. While she might be pretty sure that he was too whipped by Evie to do anything to her, she hadn’t lived this long by being stupid.

Jay didn’t bother looking back to see if she was coming or not. She guessed he probably didn’t care. She followed him out of the dorm, across campus, and down through the Tourney Field. “Where are we going?”

His voice was short when he replied. “Somewhere romantic.” 

Most people would have taken the hint, but she wasn’t going to let him get in the last word. “Is this where you take all of your dates? Because I heard something about you whipping your dick out at the movies. Nice. I knew you had a little bit of the Island left in you.”

“No I don’t!” He spun around to face her. “I don’t have anything from the Island in me. I’m from Auradon, and I’m nothing like you?”

Oh, this was too easy. She had Evie now, which meant she didn’t have to be nice to Jay if she didn’t want to. She could do what she had been itching to ever since she had arrived in Auradon. She had thought that Audrey might be a good target for a verbal spar, but Jay had just offered her a golden opportunity. She looked him up and down, curling her lip as hard as she could. “Obviously. But you can’t deny who you really are. They might have brought you here and cut out your claws, but you’re the Island in your soul. Face it, you’re a villain.”

“I’m not.” His voice was low and dangerous. “I’m Aladdin and Jasmine’s son, not Jafar’s. I don’t even remember him.”

Again, he blundered right into her trap. “He remembers you. Trust me, the man practically raised me. I heard all about his precious Jadiir, and how much he missed you and wished you were still with him. How much he loved you and wanted you back.”

The bullshit was flowing from her lips. The only time Jafar ever talked about Jay was to tell Mal how glad he was that he wasn’t stuck with his own child, the same way he had been stuck with her. She was a big enough pain in the ass.

But Jay didn’t need to know that. It would do him good to wonder about Jafar, and to start thinking about who he could have, and should have, been.

“That isn’t my name!” His voice rose to a yell, which only made her smirk harder. Good, he was losing control. This was her favorite part. “My name is Jay. Just Jay.”

“Oh, really?” She was completely sweet. “That sucks. They didn’t even let you keep your real name? The one your father and mother chose for you?”

“Jay is my real name, and it is the one that my parents chose for me. Aladdin and Jasmine are my parents, no matter what. They chose me, and they love me.”

Mal shrugged. “You didn’t need to be chosen. You needed to stay with your father, the one who loved you.”

“So I could have turned out like you? Yeah, that sounds great.” He was trying for insulting, but she heard the thinly veiled tears in his voice. She had definitely gotten under his skin.

And it made her feel…..bad? Why did she feel bad right now? It wasn’t like she liked Jay or anything. She took making people cry as a personal badge of merit. Her ultimate goal was to get Carlos, but that didn’t seem to be possible. Physical pain didn’t do it, and he didn’t seem to have much response to her barbs. 

She was having a lot of strange feelings lately. Auradon feelings, not Island ones. Suddenly she felt bad when she did something nasty, even though it had filled her (and her mother) with pride before. Maybe there was something in the water here that turned you into a moron. 

She even….well, she missed Carlos a little bit. Not because she had any warm feeling for him, mind you, but because he had left her to face all of this alone. Now it was her that everyone stared at, and the one that teachers focused on, and the only one to get those mixed looks of pity and distrust.

Anger flared up in her chest, and she felt the burn that told her her eyes were flashing green again. How dare this ordinary boy make her feel bad about what she was doing when she had done so much worse in the past?

Thinking about Carlos hardened her resolve further. “It does sound great, doesn’t it? Besides, you seem to like the way Carlos turned out. At least the way his dick did.”

He turned and gave her a cold look. “I wouldn’t know what his dick looks like, because, unlike you, I don’t take advantage of people when they’re vulnerable. Besides, Carlos is nothing like you.”

Mal fought down the urge to laugh hysterically. Really? He thought they were different? Carlos was smaller, and quieter, and cuter, but, inside, they were the same festering messes. She kept her voice level, though. “Really? Well, if that’s what you want to think, I guess I can’t stop you.”

It was all about the finesse. She could keep arguing with Jay, point out all the little things that Carlos was doing to take advantage of his time here in Auradon, and really dig the knife in, but she didn’t. It was better for Jay to come to the realization himself. 

He shook his head. “Anyway, this is the spot. Bring a picnic; Evie likes raspberries and cherry soda. They can get you some down in the kitchens. Just tell them you’re going on a date and they’ll fix you up.” His voice was quiet and defeated.

Damn it, there was that bad feeling again. She was supposed to feel happy that she had made Jay miserable. But she didn’t. She felt guilty. What would Evie do right now? Probably not be a bitch like Mal was. Ok, try again. What would make Evie happy right now?

Ug, she knew exactly what would make Evie happy right now. It was…shudder…an apology. Evie would want her to apologize to Jay, and make it up to him. It made Mal want to gag. She had never apologized in her life. Could she do it, even for Evie?

The words stuck in her throat, but she forced them out. This was for Evie. Not wait, it wasn’t. This was for the wand. Why was she thinking about Evie instead of the wand? She had to get her shit together! “Look. I, uh, I’m sorry. I’m just…I’m really trying to be better, I swear. It’s hard to change so much.”

Jay didn’t look at her. “You’re wrong, you know. You didn’t have the life I should have had. I have the life you should have had. I don’t know why you two don’t see that.”

Mal didn’t say anything to that, because what if it was true? She couldn’t deny that her life would have been easier if her mother had let her go with the others. She would be just like Jay. No memories of the Island and the people there, no thinking about all the times he had gone hungry or been forced to fight for food, having two parents who actually seemed to like him, instead of a power crazed mother and a pseudo-father who was obsessed with home furnishings.

It wasn’t that she didn’t recognize that she had gotten screwed. Of course she had. She wouldn’t have known the freedom from the Island, but she also wouldn’t miss it. You couldn’t miss what you had never had. 

They walked back in silence, with Jay leading the way and not looking back. He probably didn’t care if she was following him or not. His strides were long, and she had to rush a bit to keep up. 

They were back inside the dorm room before he chose to speak again. “What is my birth mother like?”

Oh, so he was curious after all. “I don’t know. I never met her. She died when we were just babies.”

This was a perfect opportunity for her to lash out and prove that she was just as bad as her mother wanted her to be. If she were to tell Jay exactly how his mother had died, it would devastate him. To know that he had killed his mother by the simple act of being born.

“You and Carlos? When you and Carlos were babies?” He was completely focused on her now. 

“I guess when all of us were babies. The four of us have to be within six months of each other.” It was strange to think that, since she and Carlos seemed so much older than the Auradon kids. 

“Do you know what happened to her?”

“No.” She could take at least a small amount of comfort in the fact that she was at least getting to tell a lie. “No one ever told me.”

She had to get out of here before this place ruined her. It was already making her soft and useless. It was even making her consider the feelings of other people. How depressing.

“What was her name?” They were at the dorms by now, and he held the door for her. 

“Malea. Her name was Malea and you look just like her. Much more than you look like Jafar.” Why was she still talking? She had answered his question and there was zero reason for her to say anything else. 

“Oh.” He dropped the subject there. “Remember what I said, and Evie will like her date.” 

He went into his own room and closed the door before she could reply. Well, fine then.

But it wasn’t that big of a deal. She had proven that Jay was interested in his past, even if he wanted to deny it. More importantly, she had proven it to him. 

Evie was still gone when she got back, which was a good thing. It meant that she didn’t have to explain where she had been, and how she had treated Jay. She felt like that was something that might make Evie a little upset. Or more than a little upset. And Mal had a feeling that that Evie upset was something terrifying.

But it hadn’t been a waste. She had a plan, and things always looked better when there was a plan. It wouldn’t be too long now, and she was going to be running this place. It was a pleasant thought.

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10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15. Good. Not good enough, but it was a start. Carlos crossed his arms over his chest and regarded the pile of food in front of him. It was enough for a day or two if he ate like he had gotten used to. More like a week if he ate like he had on the Island. Especially if he didn’t throw away the stuff when it started to get rotten.

But it didn’t seem like enough. Back at the dorm, this was same amount of food that Jay kept in his food box. It was extra, not meals. And it wasn’t the right food, either. No meat, no fruit, no vegetables. He wasn’t stupid, and he recognized how much stronger he had become since arriving in Auradon, and he knew that the food he was eating was a huge part of that. This wasn’t going to be easy.

Carlos gave his head a quick shake. Time to quit acting like a fucking pussy. This was the situation he had gotten himself into, and it was the situation he needed to deal with. If he needed healthier food, he had to find some way of getting it. Simple as that. He had always taken care of himself in the past, and he would continue to do it now. 

He moved the food up onto the shelves he had cobbled together out of some wood he had found. It couldn’t stay on the ground because of vermin. Not that he had seen any yet, but they had to be there. 

Once he did that, he stood back and took a look around his new home. It hadn’t been easy to find a place, but even Auradon had a bad side of town, and there were some buildings that looked like they had been abandoned for a long time. Now it was home.

In some ways, it was easier here than it had been on the Island. He didn’t have any competition here. No one tried to take this stuff or fight him for his sleeping space. Of course, they all had their own homes, with their own stuff here. Why would they want his things?

Because it wasn’t much. At home, he had a lot, all carefully saved and fixed over the years. At Cruella’s, he had a mattress, and some books, and food if he knew how to hide it. His warehouse, though, that was where most of his things were. His tools, his experiments, most of his food, clothes, and other necessities. Not to mention the bombs and other sabotage he had put together to keep his stuff safe.

That was the part that was harder than it had been on the Island. He had easier access to things like food, but it was next to impossible to get his hands on anything else. Chemicals, torches, the more fiddly and expensive parts were all closed off to him. 

It wasn’t that he really needed them, he guessed. At home, they had been his protection, and his source of income. He didn’t need either one of those things here. It would have been nice to have more protection, but he guessed it wasn’t really necessary. No one was coming to bother him here. 

But it did bring up a concern that he hadn’t considered. On the Island, he had been able to create a life for himself because he had something that people wanted but couldn’t get for themselves. It made him valuable in a way that ensured a certain amount of safety for him.

In Auradon, he lost that safety. They had things here that he had only dreamed of on the Island. And they could walk into any store and buy them. They didn’t have to put in an order and wait for Carlos to figure out how to make it. 

Not to mention that he was in hiding. He might have his issues, but stupidity wasn’t one of them. You didn’t make it on the Island without learning to spot informants and guards. The police force was looking for him. They weren’t wearing uniforms, but he recognized them for what they were.

And they were there every single day, making sweeps and talking to people. Anyone who had managed to miss the news of him running away from the school, and missed the posters with his face on them that were fucking everywhere, the police had been gotten to them. Fuck. 

There wasn’t much he could do to blend in, either. Everyone was going to recognize his face, or at least his hair. So he went with his second option: hiding. It wasn’t too difficult to switch his schedule to sleeping during the day and being awake at night. He had never needed much sleep anyway, so he had plenty of time during the day to work on building his new little apartment and organizing his stuff. Once it was dark out, he could emerge and start hunting for what he needed.

At least that wasn’t too hard. He couldn’t believe what people threw away here. Things that were perfectly good, except for they were close to their expiration date. Sometimes they were even opened yet. No wonder the Island got barges of stuff twice a week. It was fucking ridiculous. 

Security on the stores was pathetic, too. He had no trouble picking the locks on every store he encountered. Some of them had alarms as well, which had startled him the first night and forced him to abort his mission, but it hadn’t taken long for him to disable them. Now he had blankets, and some clothes (ugly, and not his style at all, but beggars couldn’t be choosers), and a few battery powered lights that he was very careful with. He couldn’t risk anyone seeing the light and coming to investigate. 

He had food, he had shelter, he had fresh water that he gathered from the spigots used for landscaping. His basic needs were cared for, and all of it came easier than it had on the Island.

So why was he so miserable? This had been his dream back home. He had everything he needed, and he was being left alone to enjoy it. No one struck him, no one yelled at him, no one tried force him to talk, and, best of all, no one set wild animals on him.

Even now, almost 2 weeks later, the thought of that thing flying at him, teeth bared, made him shudder. It had come straight for him, too. It ran by everyone in the bleachers and the other kids on the field and ran at him. Maybe dogs could communicate with each other somehow, and all the dogs in Auradon knew that he was Cruella’s son. It wasn’t fair! He didn’t like the woman either, and she didn’t treat him any better than she treated the Dalmatians. To be honest, there was a part of him that was surprised he had survived at all, and wasn’t a fur coat in Cruella’s closet somewhere. She certainly liked talking about his freckles (or his 'spots') well enough. 

If the dogs in Auradon could really communicate, he was screwed. He had gotten away from that monster on campus, but there had to be more of them. And with their good senses of smell, they would have a far easier time of finding him than the police would.

The worst part was, he had no idea how many dogs there were. He had seen a lot of them since he got here, walking on the streets with their owners. Auradon must be more dangerous than he had originally thought, because so many people kept them for personal protection. The only thing that kept the people around them safe were the leashes that kept the dogs restrained. 

The dog on campus hadn’t had a leash. It had just been running loose, waiting to attack anyone it came across. He couldn’t remember exactly what that dog had looked like, or how big it had been, but he wasn’t that easy to fool. He was small and so was Mal. They were both dangerous. So even if the dog hadn’t been as big as it had looked at first, that didn’t mean that it didn’t have a bunch of friends waiting in the wings, all with teeth like razors. 

It was nearly dark now, or at least close enough that he felt comfortable going to the window and peeking out. Well, he guessed that ‘window’ was a pretty generous term for what he had. It had once been an Auradon type window, with panes of class and even blinds. Now all of the panes were cracked, and two of the four were broken out completely. There was a mark where the blinds had been, but they were long gone, either stolen or rotted away. 

It reminded him of home so strongly that he felt a sharp pain in his chest. This was the life he was used to, the one where things made sense. Not this weird place where everything was shiny and new and there were monsters hiding right around the corner. At least on the Island the monsters had the grace to be out in plain sight. 

But he wasn’t on the Island now. He was in Auradon; because that was the choice he had made for himself. He couldn’t blame it on Cruella, he couldn’t blame it on the dog, he couldn’t blame it on Darling or Fairy Godmother or Jay. He had picked up a pen and signed his name, and he was going to have to live with the consequences. 

It wasn’t like he wanted to go home, anyway. Home still had Cruella in it, and there was nothing Carlos feared more than having to face that woman again. He would rather face down the dog. At least the dog would just tear him to bits. It would hurt, but it would be over fairly quickly. It would be over quicker still if the dog managed to get the pack involved. 

Cruella would make sure it lasted a long time. He had betrayed her by sneaking and running away from home, and that was not something she was likely to forgive. She needed him far more than he needed her right now. She didn’t feed him, clothe him, or provide much more than a place for him to sleep. On the contrary, it was his inventions that brought in the money. And that money bought Cruella her beloved furs. Without him, she wouldn’t be able to afford them. And, like and addict in need of a fix, there was nothing meaner than Cruella when she didn’t get what she wanted.

He climbed down from his perch and took another inventory of his stuff. What did he have and what did he need? It was always helpful to have a plan. He had to be on the lookout for food, but he was always on the lookout for food. He had raided a candy shop the other day and gorged himself on all the chocolate and peanut butter he could hold. That had turned out to be a mistake, one that required him to spend most of the next day lying on his makeshift bed, shuddering and contemplating whether or not this would finally be the time he vomited. He didn’t, but it was a near thing.

Other than that, though, he didn’t need anything. Which was not as good as it sounded. At least if he needed things, he could keep himself mentally occupied by first planning out a route to get to what he needed without been seen, but the best way to steal what he needed. Then there was getting it back to his new place, and setting it up in its proper place. 

When he didn’t need much, though, it was both easier and harder. Easy to steal, easy to carry, easy to get back. Which meant he didn’t have much to do for the rest of the night. He couldn’t risk going out just for fun. It would only take one person looking out their window at just the right time, and he would be busted. 

Plus…he just didn’t want to go by himself. Carlos had never really gone out and wandered around for pleasure before he came to Auradon. It was too dangerous at home when you were a skinny little kid that everyone knew had no one to back him up. When he lived in the dorms, he had actually liked roaming campus, even after he had made his mental map of the entire school.

No, the reason he didn’t like roaming around alone was because he liked hanging out with Jay. Carlos hated to admit it, but he also hated liars. And that included lying to himself. He had liked Jay, and liked spending time with him. He had even taken Jay with him to walk around campus at night. He wouldn’t have done that for anyone else, including Evie. He had trusted him, when he hadn’t trusted anyone else here in Auradon. Except for maybe Darling (the longer he stayed here in Auradon, the more mixed his feelings about her became. It was hard to hate her any more, and could definitely see where she had done a lot for him when he was too young to do it himself), Jay might have been the first person he had trusted in his life. He was definitely the first person he trusted completely. 

This, by the way, was why he didn’t trust people. Jay had been nice to him; He had gone out of his way to earn Carlos’ trust, when he could have just left him alone. And Carlos wasn’t too stupid to realize that fact, and that had made him break his own rules on trusting people.

And look where it got him. He let his guard down fully, and had almost gotten attacked by a rabid dog. Jay had known there was a dog, and even called it by name (the dogs name was Dude, by the way, which was something that Jay called him sometimes, too. He guessed it wasn’t the first time someone had mistaken him for a dog).

It wasn’t that Carlos thought they had set the dog on him on purpose or anything. Everyone had been shocked to see it was out of whatever cage they kept it in. Which meant that it was capable of getting out. Whether it could open the cage or had slipped past someone during its feeding time didn’t really matter. What mattered was that it was able to get loose.

Why did they even have those things in a school? Was it to protect the campus at night? To terrorize students who got in trouble? Maybe he was some sort of mascot, to intimidate rival schools? He guessed there were a lot of reasons to keep that thing around, even though it didn’t seem very safe in the long run.

But no one around here seemed to realize that. There was indoctrination at work here; trying to convince people that dogs weren’t that bad. There were pictures of dogs in books, even books for little kids, there were dogs on television, there were dogs everywhere. And they were made to look cute instead of dangerous. They even called them ‘man’s best friend’ like that was supposed to make it true. 

It seemed to be working, too. Even Roger and Anita, who Carlos thought were pretty smart, had two of those monsters in their house. They probably had more by now, since the girl was pregnant. He didn’t like it, but he had learned very early that the adults in his life were not interested in his opinion on how they did things. 

Taking care to not stand where he could be seen, just on the off chance that someone was looking at his window, he peeked out. It was just dark enough to go out, so he grabbed a jacket. It wasn’t the one that Jay had left for him. That one was light colored and too easy to see, even at night. This was a hooded jacket he had taken from one of the stores. It was solid black, and he could use the hood to cover his hair. It made him all but invisible if he was careful to stay off the main streets where the streetlights were. 

Going out when he didn’t have to was a risk, but it was one he had to take for his sanity. He was fucking bored, which was not a familiar feeling to him. Back home, he had needed all of his wits and energy to survive. When he first arrived in Auradon, everything was new and different, and required him to expend a considerable amount of mental energy to learn everything that was required of him. How to use a straw and work silverware. What manners were expected at mealtimes so people didn’t stare at him. How to manipulate a game system and a laptop. Doing schoolwork for the first time in his life. It was 16 years of learning slammed into less than three months. He could do it, of course, but that didn’t make it easy.

Now he had nothing to do to occupy his time. No schoolwork, no inventions to build and perfect, no one to spend time with. He had a few books that he had drug out of the trash, but he had already read them cover to cover. At first he had been a little interested in them, because of what the man and woman were doing on their covers, but they had turned out to be quite the disappointment. The men spent the entire book being nice to the women, and taking them places, and buying them a ton of crap, just so they could have a chance of fucking them in the end. Why didn’t they just pay the women to start with, and fuck them as many times as they wanted? It seemed like a total waste of effort. 

But he guessed that was the fairy tale way of doing things. You weren’t supposed to want to fuck someone. You were supposed to want to hug them, and kiss their hand, and ask them to be yours forever. Then you could fuck them, like a piece of paper and some jewelry somehow made things different. Fucking was a dirty thing that nice Auradon people didn’t do, right up until it wasn’t. Pretty stupid if you asked him. Not that Carlos was particularly interested in fucking, but he was even less interested in kisses and dates and all of that bullshit. He had the physical desire to fuck, but that was nothing but a natural bodily response. Even animals did it. The drive to reproduce and keep your genes in the pool was a strong one, whether it was good or not. Given how well the deVil genes were faring, him not reproducing was probably a good thing. 

Even though the books were ridiculous, he had read all three of them several times. The author was a woman, so maybe this was what girls pretended was happening when they were fucking? He could see that. It was nice to pretend that someone actually cared about you, and not just because money had changed hands. Sometimes he pretended that, too, when he was making an invention for someone. It would be nice to make something for someone just because he liked them, and because he wanted to for a change. Like he had made that remote for Jay, that turned on all the electronics and the showers, too. 

He was still thinking it over as he slid down the closest alleyway. He would need to go over two fences, and cross a couple streets, but it would take him right to where he needed to be. 

Later on, he would realize that he was too busy thinking about those stupid books and reflecting on the poor choices he had made in his life to pay attention to his surroundings the way he should have. He had gone to this store before, and he had to act quickly to disable the alarm before it sounded. 

Except this time he was distracted and not quick enough. Not only did the alarm sound, but floodlights turned on, blinding and disorienting him. At the same time, he heard a voice shout “Hey, stop!”

He had walked right into a trap. Shit! Carlos juked left and right, not sure which way to go. A man he didn’t recognize stepped out of the shadows. “Got you, you little hoodlum. You think you can get away with-“He broke off when he got a good look at Carlos. “It’s you. The one they’re looking for!” 

His cover was blown. Even if he could get away right now, they knew that he was in town, and had a rough idea of where. It would be easy for the police to hunt him down now.

“Frank! It’s that kid they lost over at the school. Grab him!” He was already trying to box Carlos in, which was a mistake on his part. Instead of backing up against the wall, the way he knew the man was expecting him to, he rushed forward, slamming the man as hard as he could and sending them both to the ground. Carlos landed on his shoulder, rolling smoothly and getting to his feet while the other man was still frozen in shock. He started to dash around the side of the building, realizing too late that he was going the wrong way and blocked by someone who he assumed was Frank. 

“Easy, kid. No one’s going to hurt you. We just want to try and get you home. Don’t you want to go home?” The man held his hands up, stepping into Carlos’ space.

There was nothing Carlos wanted more right at this moment than to go home. Because if he had been at home, he would have grabbed the knife he was keeping in his boot and slashed Frank with it. Not stab, since he didn’t want to actually kill the man. He wasn’t some sort of sociopath, after all. He was just going to do what he needed to get away. 

But this was Auradon, where slashings were seen as less of a warning and more of an assault. Since the alarm was already going off, he spun sideways and kicked the window as hard as he could. The glass shattered and he jumped through, barely feeling the cut on his left arm. Once he was inside, it was an easy matter to throw open the back door and run out into the night. 

Now the chase was on. He hadn’t disabled either man, and the alarm had drawn the attention of even more people. Carlos wasn’t going to lead them right back to his place, so he turned the other way and ran.

Despite the circumstances, he couldn’t deny that there was a certain amount of joy in what he was doing. It certainly wasn’t the first time he had been chased like this, and it reminded him of home. 

He was rapidly approaching a tall fence, but it was chain link and he was confident in his ability to go up and over it. The barbed wire on the top might be an issue, but he would get through it a lot easier than the adults could. His shirt tore at the neck when he wiggled up and through, but that was fine. He was free. 

Sure enough, the men were stopped at the other side of the fence. Since they couldn’t get through, Carlos paused for a second to catch his breath and reorient himself. He had to make sure they saw him going off in the opposite direction of where he actually needed to be. It would buy him some time to get his important stuff and find a new place that w as far way from the old one. 

Frank rested his hand on the fence. “Carlos? Carlos, right? Look, kid, we can forget about what happened, ok? Insurance will cover the window, and we don’t need to tell anyone how it really broke. Just come back over here, and I’ll call someone to come pick you up. I know that they want you to come home, and that no one is angry with you. They’re worried.”

He wanted to believe that. He could give them Jay’s number, or Evie’s or Anita’s. But what would that get him? Returned to that school, where the dog was, or, worse, sent back to the Island. He had broken some serious rules, and that always came with punishment. 

But was it worth it? He had been seen, and that meant he was as good as caught. Maybe it would go easier for him if he just gave up now? Why delay the inevitable?

He couldn’t. He had given in to Cruella every single time, and it had never helped him. He stepped further back from the fence and shook his head. Then he turned and ran.

Even though he was pretty sure no one was chasing him, he kept to the shadows and took a winding path around back to his place. His arm was starting to hurt, and he had gotten nothing to show for his troubles.

What the fuck was wrong with him? He knew to be wary and on his guard at all times, and he had just blindly wandered right into a trap. He should have seen that from a mile away, and he had had no clue.

He wasn’t who he used to be, that was for sure. Back home, he would have never fallen for that trick. He wouldn’t have lived long enough to fall for it. But his senses had failed him. 

Auradon had ruined him. He had grown weak and complacent, and this only proved that he was no longer capable of caring for himself in this strange new place. This time, he had gotten away. The next time he might not be that lucky. Maybe Auradon Prep was better. He would have to be watchful for the dog, and put up with whatever punishment was going to be meted out. 

There was glass embedded in the cut on his arm, but it wasn’t deep. He picked the slivers out and rinsed it with some water. He didn’t have real bandages, but he tore a strip off of a shirt and used that to wrap it up. Then he sat down on his bed.

What was he going to do? He was fucked and he was going to have to move on. It was where he was going that was questionable. He could find another building to take over, in a different part of town. That was an option. There had to be more than one part of town with abandoned buildings in it. He could go back to Auradon Prep. They had that dog, and his waiting punishment, but they also had food, and shelter, and even waiting company all provided for him. Except they had probably moved Jay back in with Chad, and, even if they hadn’t, Jay was probably pissed with him anyway. He wasn’t going to want to hang out with the little freak who ran away at the slightest sign of trouble. 

His only other option was the woods. That was both the best and worst one. It meant he stood the least chance of getting caught, since they would be focusing on the city now. But he wasn’t completely sure of his abilities in the woods. The water out of the stream hadn’t made him sick, but he might not be able to find or hunt enough food. Face it; he was a city kid, not a country one. 

He picked up a bag he had stolen and started packing the essentials. Wherever he went, he was going to need food. Then there was the jacket Jay had left for him and a change of clothes and…well, he guessed that was it. Travelling light was essential, no matter where he went. Everything he needed fit into a single small bag that he had stolen from one of the clothing stores. That was pathetic.

With the bag packed, he sat down on the edge of his blanket pile and thought. How was he supposed to make a decision when all of his choices seemed wrong? 

Sitting here and sulking wasn’t going to change things, though. He just needed to make his choice and deal with the consequences as they came. Carlos set his jaw and stood up. He had a long walk ahead of him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 1)I need some opinions here. I've gotten a head start on the next chapter. However, the first two POV's will be adults. I think it's important for someone outside of the Rotten 4 to give their observations every once in a while. I could either post this chapter as an interlude, and get it done faster, or have add in the kids, which will make the chaper obscenely long and take a lot longer to get out. What would you guys prefer?  
> 2) Jadiir is an Arabic boys name. It means 'Fast' and 'Suitable'. I could see Jafar looking down at his infant son, shrugging and proclaiming him nothing more than 'suitable'. The reason for the change to 'Jay' will be explored later.  
> 3) I feel really bad for Mal in this. Yes, she's being a bitch, but she's the most torn between her two lives right now. She knows what will please Maleficent, and what will please Evie, but is only beginning to really think about what will please her. She has some ugly choices to make, and that's got to be hard for her.


	18. Chapter 18

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> After a lot of debate, I decided to give the adults their own, shortish interlude, and let the kids have their own chapter coming up next. Thanks to everyone who offered me an opinion!

The Way of the Miracle Worker is to See All Human Behavior as One of Two Things: Either Love, or a Call for Love. – Marrianne Williamson.

Was that a knock at the door? It was faint, but she could have sworn she heard it. Anita looked over, and this time the sound was quite distinct. But it was nearly midnight. Who knew what sort of person would be out roaming the streets at this hour? She and Roger were in the middle of nowhere, and there was no reason for someone to be out here so late. 

Normally she would be in bed by now, but between the puppies needing care and her worries of the past few weeks, she wasn’t sleeping well. The school had lost her baby, and she had no idea where he was.

A third series of knocks sounded, but they were soft and few. Whoever was on the other side was giving up. If she didn’t answer, there wasn’t another house for miles. It might be some sort of deviant, but it was just as likely that it was someone needing help. “Roger! Wake up. Someone is at the door!”

He gave a sleepy grumble. “In a moment, my dear.”

Anita wasn’t sure who she was expecting at the door, but it wasn’t Carlos, standing there dejectedly and looking at her desperately. “Oh, my Goodness.”

Before she could think, she pulled him inside and wrapped her arms around him, squeezing tightly. He kept his own arms down at his sides, like usual, but his body relaxed and molded against her, leaning into her a little bit. “Come here, Sweetheart. Roger, now! Carlos came home!”

But how? Like the rest of Auradon, she had heard all about how he had been spotted and nearly captured yesterday evening. But that was 25 miles away. Had he walked here? And how had he known the way?

Those were questions for later, though. For right now, she had more important things to address. Carlos didn’t look obviously hurt, but that didn’t mean he wasn’t. She had already seen that he didn’t have much of a response to pain. 

“Are you hungry? Thirsty? Hurt?” She spoke calmly, but urgently. “Tell me what you need.”

He nodded and held up three fingers. All three. “Do you need me to take you to the hospital?”

His dark eyes went wide and he shook his head as hard has he could. Anita wasn’t sure if she should believe him or not, but he was standing under his own power, and while he looked dirty and tired, he was steady on his feet and his eyes were bright. She knew that he had been trapped in the hospital when he first got here, and she didn’t want to make him feel that way again. “I’m glad you came here. I missed you. You go find some pajamas and hop in the shower, and Roger and I will warm you up some dinner.”

If she just came out and gushed over him, telling him how much she loved him and how proud she was of him for coming to her and Roger and covered him in the hugs and kisses she desperately wanted to, it was just going to overwhelm him. Instead of pouring praise and affection on him, you had to measure it out with a teaspoon. Normally she wouldn’t have pulled him in the door like that, or hugged him so tightly, but she couldn’t help it. She had been pretty sure she was never going to see him again. 

Roger stumbled out of the bedroom, still looking half asleep. When he saw Carlos, though, a gentle smile spread over his face. “Well, hello, Lad. Welcome back.”

And to think, he had been the one who was unsure about taking Carlos in the first place. Roger had taken to being a father almost immediately, and Carlos seemed to accept him more readily than he had accepted her. It was a little painful, but not too surprising. Carlos had bad associations with the women in his life. As far as she could tell, Roger was the first adult man to take any interest in him, so there were no poor experiences to overcome. Sure enough, Carlos gave him a timid but genuine smile and headed off for a shower.

As soon as they heard the shower start, Roger turned to her. “Well, that was unexpected.”

It was, and the enormity of what was happening hit her like a ton of bricks. Carlos had come back to her. He hadn’t been captured, he hadn’t been forced. He had made the decision to come to her instead of staying where he was or going back to the school. On some level, he trusted her, despite his best efforts.

He squeezed her shoulder. “I’m going to heat of some of the roast for him. What else do we need?”

“He’s hurt, but I don’t know how badly. He doesn’t want to go to the hospital, but be ready to take him if we need to.”

She was supposed to contact Fairy Godmother immediately if this happened. It wasn’t that Anita couldn’t see why. Fairy Godmother was in charge of Carlos, and all the children at the school. Legally, she was responsible for what happened to him. And she had to be worried about him. Despite their difficulties, she knew that Fairy Godmother did want what was best for Carlos, and that the woman had had several sleepless nights worrying over him.

But he didn’t like her. And Anita knew that if she contacted Fairy Godmother right now, the woman would come and get him immediately. Which wasn’t what he wanted at all. If Carlos had wanted to be returned to the school, he would have gone back himself. It was closer to town than her place was. He wanted her, and being sent away would be seen as a complete rejection. The phone call could wait until tomorrow.

While she was thinking, Carlos appeared in the doorway, clean and dressed in pajamas. He didn’t come to her immediately, instead ducking his head and peeking up shyly at her. He was unsure of his place with her now, and the tired hope in his eyes broke her heart. She sat down on the couch and patted the spot next to her. “Roger’s making you some supper. Can I see where you got hurt?”

Now that he was clean, she could see a bruise on his cheekbone, and a small cut on the side of his neck. Had he been in a fight? But he didn’t point out either of those. Instead he pulled his sleeve back to show a long, cut on his arm. Anita couldn’t help but gasp. He wasn’t acting like he hurt at all, but it did look bad. “What happened?”

His fingers flickered. W-I-N-D-O-W. He had apparently put his arm through a window. “Is that how you cut your neck, too?”

He put his hand up to check, as if he didn’t realize he had been cut at all. Again, he didn’t seem to notice pain much. Then he shrugged as if it didn’t matter to him. Ok, then. 

Roger stepped back into the room, holding a tray with food on it. “Roger, dear, come look at this. Do you think he needs stitches?”

Carlos allowed Roger to look at his arm with only a slight hesitation. “Good lad. Just hold still for a moment.” He probed the injury and shook his head. “No stitches. It’s not gaping. I would get some butterfly bandages on it, though.”

The boy was getting restless, though Anita couldn’t tell if he was uncomfortable with the attention or if he was just focused on the food. Roger set the tray down in his lap. “If you want more, there’s plenty in the fridge. Anita and I are going to get some bandages.”

She didn’t want to leave, but she recognized that Roger wanted a moment to speak to her in private. Carlos was too busy gulping his dinner with zero regard for the table manners she had tried so hard to teach him to care much that she was going.

Once they were in the hallway, he leaned in close. “We can’t let them take him tonight. He’s ours, and he needs to stay here right now.”

This was why she had married and loved this man so much. “Agreed. We’ll call them in the morning.”

He smirked. “Text. It will take them longer to get it.”

“Good idea.” She would text the King instead of Fairy Godmother, since she knew he would probably be too busy to notice right away. It wasn’t everyone who got the private phone number of royalty, but Carlos and Mal had shaken up a lot of things here in Auradon.

For a moment he was quiet, and she could see him mentally debating if he wanted to go on. “He’s quite the little fighter, isn’t he? Does he get that from Cruella? The way she was, not how she is now.”

Roger had never known Cruella before she got sick. All he remembered her as was a madwoman who tried to kill puppies. They never talked about her, either. Those weeks with the puppies had been terrifying, and nothing either one of them wanted to relive. Then the King had commissioned the Isle, and Cruella was gone. They didn’t have to argue about whether or not Anita should try to visit her in jail, they didn’t worry about the puppies being born on the plantation, and they didn’t have to think about any of it at all. Out of sight, out of mind. 

But now they had Carlos. Like it or not, half of his genetics came from Cruella. He had her freckles, and her hair and her astounding intelligence. Time would tell whether or not he inherited her mental illness or capacity for cruelty. She didn’t see it yet, but she hadn’t seen it in Cruella at that age either. With Carlos arriving, though, Roger had a reason to be curious about who Cruella really was, with the shackles of her illness stripped away.

“Yes. She never backed down when she thought she was right, regardless of whether or not she actually was. She would have done the same thing he did. Stuck it out by herself and only come home when she decided she was good and ready.”

He nodded. “I’ll go get the bandages. You see what you can do with him.”

It wasn’t much, but it was the first time Roger had ever asked about Cruella. The other woman had been such an important part of Anita’s childhood and teens, and it was sometimes painful to not be able to talk to anyone about her. Everyone remembered her as the puppy killer. No one remembered the smart, funny, and caring woman Anita had once known.

Carlos was still exactly where she had left him, but the food was gone. “Do you want something else?”

He shook his head, which was a bit of a surprise. Normally he would eat whatever was put in front of him and ask for more. She wondered if it was another sign of his growing trust in her, or just a sign that he was flat out exhausted. The shadows under his eyes looked deeper than before. “Do you want to spend the night here, or should I take you back to the school?” She had to be sure.

There was no doubt as he emphatically gestured at her and the house around her. He had no desire to return to the school tonight, or maybe at all. 

Which was another matter she would have to address. Doing so might break the fragile trust he had placed in her, but she would have a better chance of getting through to him than anyone else.

Roger reappeared with the bandages, and set to wiping and taping the cut. Carlos stared at the entire process, completely fixated. It was like he couldn’t believe that it was happening, that someone else would take the time to fix his injury.

Anita resumed her place next to him, and he leaned into her again. “They told me what happened with the dog.”

He tensed and jerked his arm, trying to get it away from Roger. “Easy, I’m almost done.”

She tried to pull his attention back to her. “Sweetheart, Dude is a very nice dog. I know that he startled you, but there’s no reason to be frightened. He won’t harm you.”

Carlos wasn’t buying it, she could tell. He shook his head at her and moved his hands quickly, almost too quickly for her to follow. DOGS ARE MONSTERS. THEY WILL BITE ME.

“Who told you that?” She knew already of course, but she wanted him to say it.

C-R-U-E-L-L-A. 

He never addressed her as ‘Mom’. He knew the sign for ‘mother’, and he could definitely spell it, but she had never seen him do so. If she referred to Cruella as his mother, she usually got a blank look as he tried to figure out what she was talking about. He got it eventually, but she could tell that he didn’t think of the woman that way

There was something else, though, something that she hardly dared think about. When he asked for her, he did it by signing the letter ‘A’. That sort of shorthand for familiar words and people was perfectly normal. But instead of holding his hands out, or at chest level like he usually did, he would bring his hand up to his face, his thumb nearly touching his jaw. An open hand, with the thumb against the jaw was the sign for ‘mother’. She wondered if he did it on purpose, or if it was just an odd coincidence. Until she was more sure, she wasn’t going to bring it up.

“I see. Does Cruella always tell you the truth about things?”

NO. Carlos cocked his head a little bit, and she could see the wheels turning. She didn’t think he had ever considered this angle before.

Despite his seeming lack of attachment to her, Cruella was still his mother, so Anita spoke carefully. “Sweetheart, I’m not saying that she would lie to you deliberately. But sometimes it’s hard for her to tell what’s the truth and what isn’t. Do you understand?

YES

“Good. Do I always tell you the truth about things?”

He thought about it. It was took far longer then when he had thought about Cruella, which led her to suspect that he was desperately trying to think of some lie that he could catch her in. But there was nothing, and he finally had to concede the point to her. YES

“Then I want you to trust that I’m telling you the truth now. Dogs are not monsters. Some of them are friendly and some of them aren’t, just like people. But Dude is a friendly dog, and he won’t harm you. You don’t have spend time with him if you don’t want to, but you don’t need to be afraid of him. I promise.”

He shook his head. “Have you ever seen a dog up close before Dude?”

NO. 

The risk she was about to take was calculated, but she had to do it. “Roger, go get one of the puppies.”

He startled. “Are you sure.”

“Yes. Get the boy with the blue collar, he’s the smallest.” She turned to Carlos, who was staring at her in horror. “I want you to get a good look at him, ok? He can’t possibly hurt you. He’s too little to have teeth, and his eyes are barely open. Right now he’s a tiny baby who needs us to take care of him, not a monster.”

The boy had gone completely stiff, his eyes locked on hers, but he didn’t jump up and try to run. Even more surprising though, was that Roger immediately stood and went to get a puppy. It had been one of his rules from the beginning that Carlos was not to be near or interact with the dogs. The fact that he didn’t even hesitate now proved that the trust was growing on all sides, not just from Carlos. 

“I just want you to look at him. If you don’t want to hold him, you don’t have to.” She was hoping that Carlos would do it, but she would accept anything short of him flat out attacking the dog or running. Though, when she looked at him critically, she suspected that Carlos was out of the strength that running would take.

Roger returned with the blue collar puppy. Its eyes were barely open and it made tiny squalling noises as it waved it’s lets. Every time it made a noise, Carlos jumped, but he was studying it with great interest.

Anita accepted the puppy from Roger, gently tucking it to her body. “See? He won’t hurt you, Sweetie.” She used one finger to open the puppy’s mouth. “No teeth.”

That seemed to help, and Carlos scooted a tiny bit closer. His face was blank, but she could feel him trembling. “Try petting him.”

He was shaking harder, so she took his hand and gently put it on the puppy’s back. “Not scary.”

Even thought it clearly was scary, he did keep his hand where she had put it. After a second, he moved his fingers, lightly tracing the spots that were just starting to appear. The puppy squeaked and he jolted again looking at her in terror and signing quickly. I HURT IT.

“You didn’t. He’s just a little confused about who you are and why he’s away form his mother. He’s used to being close to her.” Slowly and carefully, she slid the puppy into his hands, and let go, testing to see what he would do. If he dropped it, it would fall into his lap, just a few inches down, so it wasn’t in any danger.

The puppy wiggled again, and Carlos reflexively drew it close to his body. He was still trembling a little bit, but now he was more interested. Anita had guessed that if she could get him in the same room with the puppy, his natural curiosity would take over, and she had been right. 

She was also gratified to see him hold it tenderly. She doubted that Cruella had ever cradled and cared for him like this, but someone had, or he wouldn’t be able to give that same affection to the puppy he was holding.

The sweetness only lasted a few minutes, before he offered the puppy back to Roger, taking care to hold it exactly as he had seen his foster father do. Roger accepted the puppy back with a smile. “You were brave.”

An outsider might not have seen a reaction, but Anita definitely saw Carlos preen at the praise. “You were extremely brave. Now, it’s past 1 in the morning, and time for you to get off to bed.”

He made a token effort by bringing her his book so she could read to him. “It’s too late. But tomorrow I will make you whatever you want for breakfast.”

C-H-O-C-O-L-A-T-E C-H-I-P P-A-N-C-A-K-E. There was no hesitation in what he signed and it made her laugh. “Chocolate chip pancakes, got it. Now bed.”

Just like every night, he allowed her to tuck him in and give him a kiss, settling right away. She left the door slightly open, just in case he needed something during the night.

Despite the late hour, she couldn’t sleep for more than a bit at a time. On three separate occasions she got up to look in on Carlos, just to reassure herself that he was still there. Every time he was there, his return just as sudden as his appearance. 

The next morning, she let him sleep as long as he wanted to, while she busied herself making the batter for pancakes. In same ways, Carlos was a most unusual kid, but in others, he was a typical teenager. He liked food as soon as he woke up, and he liked it in massive quantities.

She was getting ready to put the batter in the fridge when another knock sounded at the door. Unlike Carlos’ timid tap from last night, this one was sharp and loud, a sound that was not to be disobeyed. Since Carlos was still asleep and Roger out with the dogs, Anita allowed herself to utter a very unladylike word. “Fuck.” She hadn’t bought them anywhere near the time she thought she would.

But she had no choice but to paste a smile on her face and open the door. “Fairy Godmother! How delightful to see you so early. I wish you would have called ahead, though.”

The other woman was not amused. “The King received your text from last night. Anita, how could you not call to tell me that Carlos was safe? And why did you not return him to the school immediately.”

“Because he came here, and he wanted to stay here for the night. It was easier to keep him, rather than wake a dozen people, and keep him up longer just so he could disrupt Jay’s schedule and sleep. I was quite clear to the King that I would return him later on this morning, and we would sort out whatever needed to be sorted at that time.”

“That isn’t necessary, as we will be taking him now.” Fairy Godmother leaned against the counter. “I appreciate you caring for him last night, but it’s time for him to return home, where he belongs.”

Had anyone asked Carlos, Anita strongly suspected that he would define first the Island, and then the plantation as his home. The school would be a distant third. But she was more focused on the other part of the statement. “Who is ‘we’?”

“The King is waiting in the car.”

This was why he was failing with Carlos. In her mind (and probably the minds of a lot of Auradon’s people), being allowed a personal audience with the King was an honor. Carlos was going to see it as an attack. 

“He’s more than welcome to come inside and wait. Carlos is still asleep, and I’m not going to wake him up. He’s also been promised pancakes this morning. I’ll make some more batter so we can all enjoy breakfast.”

Fairy Godmother was clearly surprised that Anita had not only completely refused her request, but had done so in a calm voice that absolutely refused any arguments. She tried anyway. “We’re on a tight schedule here.”

“Then I’ll be glad to bring him to the school myself later on. Is there a time when the King will have a break in his schedule? Or should I just drop him off?” A part of her hated that Carlos was rapidly turning into a tug toy between them, but she wasn’t going to back down either. 

Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Roger step into the room. At least she would have some back up.

“That is not an option. The school is responsible for Carlos’ safety and well-being, and he needs to come with us now.”

“No.” Anita didn’t think she had ever heard Roger’s voice sound so small, but at least he was speaking up.

It wasn’t until she heard Fairy Godmother gasp that she realized that not only was the voice coming from behind her, instead of in front, but it wasn’t her husbands. 

Their voices must have been louder than she thought, because they had woken Carlos up. He was leaning against the doorway, his hair ruffled and sticking straight up. It made him look a little like a dandelion, a comparison she suspected he would not appreciate.

Everyone stared, making him duck his head and avert his eyes, but he tried again. “No.”

After 16 years, he had finally decided to break his silence. If doing so pleased him, he didn’t give any indication. He was too focused on Anita, his eyes begging her not to let anyone take him. “No.”

“The man has spoken. Would you like me to go invite the King inside for pancakes?” Roger crossed the room to stand beside Carlos, his body blocking the boy from Fairy Godmother. 

She was in shock. So was Anita, but she had to push it down for right now. She wasn’t exactly prepared for what to say or do in this situation. To be honest, she had pretty much concluded he was not capable of speech. 

To her credit, Fairy Godmother recognized that she was outmatched and nodded. “I do believe that he likes pancakes.” 

“I’ll get started, then.” She put an arm around Carlos. “Go get dressed, Dear. I wouldn’t be proper to greet the King of Auradon in your pajamas.” Then she leaned in and whispered. “Good job. Good job.”

He smiled a little bit, just a tiny quirk of his lips, and it made him look exactly like his mother. It was the same smile that Cruella would sneak her when they were girls and knew they had outsmarted the adults around them. 

And she couldn’t help but smile back.

656565656

Well, weren’t these kids from the Island just full of surprises? Fairy Godmother had raised year after year of children at the school, and each year had brought their own troubles and triumphs. 

This year had been particularly chaotic, even before Carlos and Mal arrived. This was the year that Ben would take the throne, and everyone felt the excitement and tension. Teenagers taken from the Island years before had hit puberty and experienced a second surge in their magical abilities. And her own Jane had changed from a cheerful but timid girl to a secretive and moody young lady. It made her long for the close relationship they had shared when she was a little girl.

But Carlos and Mal…well, they were something else. With very few exceptions, she had known every child at Auradon Prep since they were babies. They had attended preschool together, elementary, and middle, before taking the step into boarding school. While they were all growing up and changing, there weren’t any huge surprises. For the most part, they were very average teenagers.

Carlos and Mal were anything but average. Between their feral behavior, the food issues, and the mysteries surrounding them, they were enough to keep the entire psychology department working for months. Originally, she had thought that it would be an adjustment for them, but, underneath it all, they wouldn’t be that different from the teenagers here. Probably behind academically, and in need of having their social graces polished, but teens were teens, right?

Wrong. To say that coming to Auradon Prep was nothing but an adjustment was tantamount to claiming that Ben taking over the throne was just a little life change. It was a complete dismantling of what had come before, and a total change for the future. The students here learned fair play, prep for advanced schooling, and social behavior befitting their stations in life. Mal and Carlos had learned to put themselves first, because no one else was going to, how to survive in a living cesspool, and social behavior fitting their own stations in life. Which were at the very bottom of the totem pole buried somewhere in said cesspool. What was wrong with the two of them wasn’t something that could be fixed with a cuddle or some stern discipline or bandages and medicine. What was wrong with them was a festering wound that lurked below the surface, infecting their every move and thought. 

That wasn’t to say that they were hopeless. Of course they weren’t! They were still children and still humans, and they were more than capable of rising up and above if they so chose. But they wouldn’t be able to do it without help. And like any healing, it wasn’t going to come without a certain amount of pain. They had to uncover the hurts the pair had suffered, digging in painfully, and then attempt to heal them. It was hard, and it was ugly, and Fairy Godmother would be lying if she tried to claim that she wasn’t facing the task with fear and trepidation. But it had to be done, or neither one would be able to heal and move on and live normal lives. Or as normal as their pasts allowed. 

With Mal, she felt like she was at least starting to peel back the layers and make some progress. Mal didn’t really talk about her life on the Island much, and she definitely never talked about her mother or Jafar, other than to say that they two of them had raised her together. Occasionally, though, she talked about being hungry, or having to fight for basic necessities that she easily got here in Auradon. She did express gratitude for what she was given here. It was slow progress, but it was there.

Academically, Mal was actually ahead of the curve. A lack of paper and textbooks on the Isle had given her an amazing ability to mentally store and recall facts, much more so than the average Auradon student. It was an ability that was serving her well, and her grades were wonderful.

Carlos was a bit more scattershot. He was a brilliant boy, and seemed to never forget what he was taught. Every quiz was aced, every homework assignment perfect. Given a science or math assignment, he could outperform every upper level student in the school, and most of the teachers. 

On other things, though….not so much. When presented with a map of Auradon and the surrounding countries, he hadn’t been able to correctly mark one country, not even the Isle. He had no idea about any sort of literature, though he could read on his own. She would bet, though, that if he were talking, she would find that his vocabulary was quite limited. 

Everything about Carlos was scattershot, though. In some ways he was very adult, and in some ways very young, and he could switch back and forth with a speed that made her dizzy. She wondered sometimes if it was as symptom of an emerging mental illness, or just a sign of everything he had been put through. She couldn’t get close enough to him to find out. 

The opinion of the teachers was that Maleficent had taken great care to teach Mal academics. The girl was intelligent and feisty, with a natural talent for debate and not a hint of shyness about her. Whether she would use that spirit for good or evil was the big question, and no one, not even Mal, could answer it yet.

Cruella hadn’t done the same for Carlos. Fairy Godmother suspected that he had largely raised himself, and picked things up as they interested and proved useful to him. Things such as geography or books were ignored. He was picking it up rapidly, but he had started out so far behind that she didn’t know if he would catch up while still in school.

Though if the worst that happened to either one of them academically was that they couldn’t correctly put the countries on a map, it would be a minor miracle. Considering how things had gone so far, if they made it to graduation without something being blown up or someone turning into a dragon, she would count it as a win. 

Because there was an issue with both children that overrode all the others, and it was causing her a great deal of concern. Neither Carlos nor Mal had the emotional regulation she would have expected from teenagers. They both had overwhelmingly quick and strong reactions to things, and seemed to have trouble separating their emotional response from physical action. Mal was ruled by anger, and Carlos by fear. Both powerful emotions, and ones they needed to work on getting under control.

In this way, they present more in the 2-3 year old range. It was the age those sorts of emotions were normal, and a loving parent was needed to step in and show them more appropriate ways of dealing with them.

But neither one had had that. Instead, she suspected that it had been encouraged in both of them. Maleficent was a woman ruled by her own anger (really? Who cursed an entire Kingdom over the lack of invite to a party?), and even Fairy Godmother couldn’t deny that there was a power in anger, especially when using magic. The trouble came with bending the magic to your own will, instead of letting it bend you to its own. Something Mal had yet to master, and wouldn’t until she could control the anger herself. But it was harder to learn at 16 then at 2, and she was going to have to put in a lot of work. It was unfair, but many things were.

She didn’t think that Cruella had actively encouraged Carlos to be fearful, but she had certainly done so passively. The Isle was a terrifying place, more terrifying then she had thought, and it was filled with people who would actively seek to do harm to a small boy or even a teenager. And home was no different. She had seen the bruises on the boy’s body the first night he had spent here. She had seen the scars and the burns. When he had never experienced safety in his life, and without a voice to defend himself, was it surprising that Carlos was ruled by fear?

While being here, with people who would support and care for both of them helped, there was so much to overcome, and very little time to do it in. It wasn’t, and would never be, hopeless, but it was a tough order.

The car was still parked out front, and she tapped the window. King Adam looked up from his phone, where he was undoubtedly engaged in some important work. Or, upon closer inspection, playing Candy Crush. “Where is he?”

“Getting ready for breakfast. You and I have been invited to have chocolate chip pancakes with the Ratcliff family. Otherwise, we’re going to be waiting in the car.”

His face lit up. “Well I, for one, love chocolate chip pancakes, so that won’t be an issue.” He started to get up, but she opened the door and slid inside. 

“We have to talk before we go back in there.” Her serious tone caught his attention and he nodded. “Carlos can talk.”

“Really?” He was surprised. “What does he have to say?”

“Just ‘no’. But he was very clear about it, so I suspect he could say a great deal more if he chose to.”

“So his mutism is under his control. It’s interesting that it persisted so long, then.” He smiled. “This is wonderful news, though! And here you and I were insisting just last week that he would never speak.” 

That was really what it was about. Instead of being irritated that their morning was shot, or feeling like the boy had been manipulating them, she should take a hint from the King and just enjoy the fact that a student was doing something that she had been confident he never would. The slow and gentle approach had been a winner. 

“You’re right. This has been a huge breakthrough, and we should celebrate it. With chocolate chip pancakes, apparently.” 

He laughed, but his expression quickly turned serious. “I don’t want to frighten the boy, not now that we’ve just gotten him back. How do I get him to not see me as a monster?”

“Don’t act like one.” It was simple advice, but she had to admit she hadn’t been the best at taking it herself. “I think it might be best to just let this go entirely. No punishment, no interrogation. Just leave him alone and be glad we got him back at all.”

“Agreed.” It wasn’t too much of a stretch for him, since he hated having to discipline anyone. Creating the Island had left its mark on them all, and he never wanted to have to take that hard of a line again. He would if he had to, but it would only be done as a last resort. “Let’s go eat.”

By the time they made it back inside, Carlos was dressed and setting the table. He faltered when he saw her and the King, flinching even though neither one of them had moved towards him or even spoken. He looked over at Roger, who nodded and gestured at him to keep going. To her great surprise, he did. So his fearful responses could be worked with. At least when Roger was around and there were no dogs. 

Once he was finished, he took his place and gestured for them to do the same. No words, though, not even a sound. The King shot her a sideways look, clearly questioning if he had ever spoken at all.

She was further surprised when Anita set the food down on the table. “Carlos, it’s nice to let our guests serve themselves first.”

He listened. The kid who hid under the bed with his food, and gulped it the minute it was set down, not caring how hot it might be, sat patiently and waited for his turn. He asked for things like syrup and butter politely (though they did need Roger and Anita to interpret his signs), and he used his silverware correctly. The change from his first day in Auradon was absolutely astounding. 

The meal was almost over before King Adam made his move. “So it seems that you’ve had quite the adventure these past few weeks. Are you glad to be back home?”

Carlos averted his eyes, turning his head sideways. It was a quirk that Fairy Godmother had seen over and over in him. He could stare you down at times, but the minute he got nervous, or thought he was in trouble, he wouldn’t meet your eyes at all. But he managed a quick nod.

“I’m glad. You’ve been quite missed.” He took a final bite. “Anita, your cooking is absolutely fantastic. It’s been forever since I’ve had a pancake, much less a chocolate chip one. I think it’s time that we headed back. Do you need to get packed up, Carlos?”

He gave Anita a worried look and didn’t move. “Go on. You’re not in trouble. Is he, Fairy Godmother?”

“Of course not.” She didn’t want to scare the kid any further than he already was. “You’re going to have some catching up to do with your homework, but Jay has been keeping it for you.”

He turned to Anita and made a series of rapid signs, most of which Fairy Godmother wasn’t able to catch. For a boy who acted like he was moving through molasses in class, he was capable of quite a bit of speed. “You’ve become quite the speedy signer.”

I S-L-O-W F-O-R Y-O-U. He smirked at her, his eyes dancing with amusement. Then he repeated his much faster signs to Anita.

A few weeks ago, that would have driven her crazy. He was being deliberately disrespectful to her, as well has dishonest about his abilities. And why wasn’t he talking, when he had just proven to her that he could?

A little time and distance allowed her to see it in a different light. It might not have been the true light, but sometimes you had to hold on to whatever you could get. Was he being disrespectful, or just blunt? She knew that Anita had worked very hard to teach him basic manners, such as ‘please’, ‘thank you’ and ‘excuse me’. Using them might not be a reflex to him, the same way it was to one of her other students. She had seen the pause before he used them already today, and several times Anita had paused or prompted before he remembered. She remembered having to prompt Jane for quite some time as well. 

As far as his speech, went…well, Jane hadn’t talked in sentences at first either. Judging by the shock on Anita’s face, this was the first time any of them had heard his voice. ‘No’ was a short, simple word with easy to pronounce letters. He might be unsure of pronouncing more, or even not capable. If what Grimhilde had written was accurate, this was the first time he had spoken, at least where others could hear him, in his entire 16 years on this planet. It had to be a shock to him as well.

She needed to quit comparing him to Mal. Just because they had both grown up on the Island, that didn’t mean they had had the same experiences, or the same reactions to the experiences they did have. They were both progressing, and that was what she needed to focus on. 

“He wants to confirm that he is not in trouble, and that he is still rooming with Jay. He’s very concerned about punishment.” 

She was sure that he was. After all, life had not been very fair or kind to Carlos so far, had it? It was probably why he had run to Anita instead of returning to the school. She was his protector, and the one he had bonded with. “You are not going to be punished. You have my word on this. And the room assignments have not changed. Jay has missed you a great deal, and is eager to have you back. From now on, you need to stay on campus, no matter what happens. Whatever the problem is, we’ll fix it, but you need to stay put. Our job is to keep you safe, and we can’t do that if we don’t know where you are. Can you promise me that?”

He searched her eyes, clearly looking for a lie. But he nodded. I P-R-O-M-I-S-E.

“Wonderful. Are you ready to come back to the school now?” Hopefully he would go along.

Again, he signed to Anita, the only part she caught was the question mark at the end. She nodded. “You may be excused from the table. Go get whatever you need.”

He went into the back and emerged holding what Fairy Godmother first mistook for a blanket, before realizing it was a jacket. The same one that Jay had left for him on the first night. Carlos had held on to it. “Ready?”

Anita gathered him up into a hug, and Fairy Godmother noticed he didn’t flinch away, the way he did when anyone else tried to touch him. Despite all their worries about his ability to bond and attach to other people, he had managed to do it. “You know you can call or email me any time, ok?”

YES. He stepped towards Fairy Godmother, already stiff and untrusting. But he was coming to her, and giving Anita and Roger a listless wave goodbye. She wanted to put a hand on his back, to offer him some comfort, but she knew that it wouldn’t be well received. 

Maybe one day, though. They had taken several big leaps forward today, not the least of which was him making the decision to come home. Because she didn’t think they would have caught him themselves, much less been able to hold him. They could only go forward from here.

5656565656

10 minutes into the ride and Carlos had yet to look up from his lap. He sat stiffly, playing with the sleeve of the jacket he was holding. King Adam recognized it as a letter jacket from Auradon Prep. Ben had one just like it. He wondered who it belonged to, and how Carlos had ended up with it. 

“So, do you want to tell me where you’ve been hiding for the past couple of weeks? Because you did an excellent job.” He wanted to break the ice, and compliments were always the way to go.

Not with Carlos. The boy just shrugged without looking up. The King was starting to wonder if Fairy Godmother had heard him speak at all, or if it had been wishful thinking on her part. 

Truthfully, he wasn’t sure what to make of Carlos. He didn’t think any of them really knew what to make of him, except for possibly Anita and Roger. Parents always did. 

He wasn’t surprised that they seemed to have fallen for Carlos so easily. The boy was small and fragile looking, with a way that drew you in and made you want to protect him. That fragility was a complete illusion, as the past few weeks had proven, but it served the purpose to draw you in. 

And, really, how long did it take to fall in love with a kid? He had loved Evie before the first night was through. The way she had snuggled into his body, her little face tearstained and flushed from her long journey. Even now, the thought of how small she had once been brought tears to his eyes. In two years she would be a graduate and headed off to the higher education of her choice. Soon she would only come home on holidays, and, once she was wed, maybe not even then. Depending on who she married and how far away she went, it might not be possible for her to come home every holiday, or even every year.

Selfishly, he wished that she would find someone right here in Auradon. She was not the heir, so finding a political match for her was less important than it would be for Ben. There was also the not-so-small matter of her bloodline. While he considered Evie his own in every way, there were plenty of people, particularly those of a certain class, who would not only see her as illegitimate, but the daughter of a villain as well. Maybe there was a beautiful girl close by who might consent to live in the castle with them. The place was so big that he could give Evie and her chosen an entire wing, where they could have plenty of room and privacy, but still be close.

But his mind was wandering. He needed to focus on Carlos, since this was really his first opportunity to do so. The other times he only been able to observe the boy through tempered glass, or in a room full of people where he was outnumbered and overwhelmed. This was his first chance to really see the boy. 

And he was getting nothing. Based off of what he had heard, Carlos might well spend the entire trip with his head down, blocking the two of them out. “You know, I haven’t had a chance to invite you to come have dinner at the castle with the family. Of course Jay is welcome to come along. Is there something special you would like to eat? A favorite meal or dessert?”

For the first time, Carlos looked up, their eyes meeting briefly in the rearview mirror. He seemed interested in communicating, but didn’t make a sound. King Adam reached into the dash and pulled out a tiny notepad that he used to take notes for speeches. “You can write it down if you like.”

Fairy Godmother shot him a look, which he summarily ignored. He knew she wanted him to try and encourage Carlos to speak, but he wasn’t comfortable doing that. For Goodness sake, he barely knew the boy, and he was obviously quite intimidating to Carlos. Why start their relationship out by frightening him?

Carlos accepted the notepad and wrote quickly, passing it back without further eye contact. There was only one word written in a surprisingly neat hand. CHOCOLATE.

King Adam couldn’t help but laugh uproariously, making Carlos jump. “Ben would say the exact same thing. I think a spread of chocolate desserts could be arranged. Mousse, cookies, cake, a fountain. It’s been quite a while since we’ve gone all out.”

It was gratifying to see Carlos’ eyes widen at the thought. So he could interest the boy after all. They were having an actual conversation! This was good.

“There’s one more thing I want you to write down for me. I know that quite a few stores have had things go missing, and that you needed those things. I just want you to write down which stores you took things from, so I can reimburse them. I won’t bring up your name, and that will be the last time any of this is mentioned unless you want to tell me. How does that sound? Fair deal?”

Carlos fussed with the jacket sleeve again, but he finally raised his eyes and nodded. The King knew that he was going to have to be very careful from here on out not to bring up what had happened, even though he was very interested. Granted, there wasn’t much preventing Carlos, or any other kid, from leaving the school. The fence didn’t fully surround the campus, and it was more for keeping the animals in the woods from coming in and eating the landscaping that actually restraining the students. If Ben was to be believed, Carlos had gone over it in seconds. 

It was less that he had escaped, and more that he had stayed gone. He had taken care of himself by stealing, but he had almost managed to pull it off for two weeks without being seen at all, and still not getting caught even when he was spotted by two adults. He had fed himself, clothed himself, and kept himself hidden. Impressive for one so young. During his years alone in the castle, while he was still a beast, he had thought about running away many times, but never had the courage. Or maybe he had just never had the desperation.

Carlos tapped on the armrest twice, getting their attention, before handing over a piece of paper torn from the notebook. In the same precise hand, he had written a list of about two dozen stores. Well, then, he had been quite the busy little bee. But the King refrained from saying anything about it, except for a simple ‘thank you’. Carlos nodded. He seemed to have calmed quite a bit, though he remained alert and tense. Fairy Godmother claimed that neither he nor Mal ever relaxed. Hyper vigilance had kept them alive and safe their entire lives, and they had no way to turn it back now. When they had first arrived, their blood work showed cortisol levels that were absolutely through the roof. The amount of stress they were not only living with, but that was being created in their own bodies was astounding. 

The hope was that, once they adapted to a lower stress life here in Auradon, their bodies would leave the state of low-level panic that seemed to be their baseline and become calmer. Since cortical was the stress hormone, finding it lowering on their blood work would prove that they were settling in. It was something concrete that he could point to, rather than just ‘I think’, and ‘maybe’. 

They had only gotten blood out of Carlos (and he did not envy the person who was assigned to try and convince Mal to allow the needle stick), but the results had not been what he had hoped for. While not as dangerously high as they had been before (when both children registered at the very top edge of high on the graph, meaning they were outside of what it could measure), his cortisol levels were extremely high, but the numbers did register this time. 

He guessed it was an improvement, and he should be grateful for that, but it was still worrying, but emotionally and medically. Chronic high cortisol and stress could be the cause of much of the boy’s anxiety, but could also lead to physical health problems down the road. If his levels remained elevated after a few more months, they wanted to do further testing on Carlos’ adrenal gland, to make sure it hadn’t been burned out by packing a lifetime worth of stress into 16 years. Mal would need to be checked as well, which wasn’t going to be fun for any of them. 

16 years was a long time. Longer than he had been trapped in the castle as a beast. Longer than he had had their car, a lot of their furniture and their dog. As long as the twins had been alive. As long as all four of them had been alive.

It was long enough for trauma to carve new grooves and pathways in their brains, and for those grooves to deepen into canyons with impossibly high walls. Was it any wonder that those reactions were now hardwired into their every movement and thought?

And they were both intelligent kids. It hadn’t taken long at all for them to realize that their behavior was different from the kids around them, and to modify it so as to be less noticeable. Using manners, eating delicately, participating in class, being nice, responding appropriately to stress, they seemed to have figured it out.

But, as Carlos had just proven, the changes were on the surface only. The moment he became spooked at the sight of Dude, he reverted back to the only behaviors that had worked for him in the past. He could have sought Jay or the Coach, he could have held his ground, he could have waited to see if someone else would grab the dog. All actions that would show his growing trust in the Auradon way of doing things. But he didn’t trust any of those options. So he did what was, in his mind, the only possible thing. He ran. 

Not that he didn’t understand their line of thinking. After all, it hadn’t been so many years ago that he had done the same thing. He had wanted Belle, but not in the way a gentleman should desire a woman. He wanted to possess her, to own her and make her his whether she liked it or not. He had already trapped her with him, but he only had her physically, when he wanted to own her mind and soul as well.

But Belle was a good girl. She understood that she was a prisoner, and that her attempting to run would result in her father’s imprisonment and eventual death. She accepted it, but was miserable.

Like Carlos and Mal, though, he knew better than to just rush in and force things. No, he had to fake it. He had to fool her into thinking he had changed. So he used nice manners at dinner, and cleaned himself up, and showed her the library that he knew would make her happy. 

And it worked. Inside, he was still the same selfish, angry, spoiled child he had always been. But on the outside, he was becoming a well adapted gentleman. It had taken quite a bit of faking it before he was able to see that his false feelings were becoming his true ones.

Which made him wonder what Carlos and Mal were really thinking. He knew that they were not showing good behavior for the sake of goodness. It was far too soon to even think about that. He looked in the rearview mirror again, but Carlos wasn’t paying him any attention. He was looking out the window, seemingly lost in his own mind. But….keeping the rest of his body perfectly still, the King raised his left arm, cupping the hand slightly, as if he were about to swing it backhanded.

As he suspected would happen, Carlos flinched heavily. Again, despite appearances, he was well aware of what was happening around him. He absolutely feared that he would be hurt, and that there were repercussions waiting for him around the corner. The King wondered how many years it would take for him to get over that, if he ever would. 

Again, he wondered what they gained by being here, aside from the obvious. Sure, they had better food, more safety, and a million opportunities that they would have never had back on the Island. In every way, it was a step up.

But he couldn’t discount what they were giving up. They had lost their families (though, in the case of Carlos and Cruella, that may have been a good thing), their friends, most of their possessions, and the culture they had grown up in. It might not have been much, but it was theirs.

Not for the first time, he wondered if it would have been better to have left them where they were and provided more support, not only to them, but to the rest of the Isle as well. If they had enough food, and a warm place to sleep, and more options then following in their parents footsteps, was he doing more for them than uprooting them was?

It wasn’t the same as the others, the original ones that had been taken. They had been babies, not capable of remembering or understanding what was happening to them. Only a tiny handful of them were old enough to remember their lives on the Island even a few short months later. Most of the cried at the beginning, and pushed their new parents away, but it didn’t last. By the time they started school, not one of them remembered their lives before he had liberated them. They were as normal as any child born in Auradon.

Though he guessed ‘liberated’ was a rather…optimistic view of what he had done. He had heard that Carlos had accused him of kidnapping them, which was really the more truthful version of events. He had taken babies from their families for no reason other than he thought they could raise them better in Auradon. While it was true that they were at higher risk of neglect and abuse on the Isle, it was also true that not every, or even most, of the children taken showed signs of it. Chances were good that he had taken some of the children from, if not perfect, adequate homes. It had been done with good intentions, and he couldn’t deny that the children were all living good lives now, but at what cost? 

Even if the premise that he had done nothing but help the younger bunch was 100% true, it didn’t make it true for Mal or Carlos. No matter which was he framed it, the two of them were the losers in all of this. They had lost 16 years ago, and they had lost 16 weeks ago. Just children, being forced to pay for the mistakes that adults had made decades before. 

“Carlos?” The word popped out before he could stop it, and the boy looked up curiously. “Are you happy here? Happier then you were on the Isle?”

Carlos cocked his head slightly, breaking eye contact as he thought about it. And thought about it. And thought about it. King Adam actually appreciated that he was taking his time. It meant that he wasn’t about to lie just to tell them what he thought they wanted to hear. It was both refreshing and terrifying.

After what felt like several eternities, Carlos nodded at him. Yes, he preferred Auradon to the Isle. “I’m glad to hear that. Is there anything I can do to make your stay here easier for you? I was thinking that it might be time for Dude to leave his post as the school mascot and retire to the castle. It would make things easier for everyone.”

To his great surprise, Carlos shook his head again. “No? You would rather I leave Dude on campus?”

He flipped his fingers in a way that the King wished he could understand better. Fairy Godmother translated. “He says he’s brave. But not too brave, so Dude needs a leash.”

It was a simple request. “I will make sure that everyone knows that he is not to be running loose. And you’re right; you are being quite brave about this.”

The school loomed up in front of them, and Carlos went back on high alert. Once you spent a little time with him, it was pretty clear that he did have a more relaxed mode, though the King found himself longing for a day when he could see the kid fully relaxed, laughing and playing like one of his own children. After this morning, he had a little more confidence that it could happen. 

It was going to be small, small steps with the two of them, interspaced with giant leaps forward, and occasionally backwards. But they still seemed to be moving in the right direction. These kids were going to make it. They had to.


	19. Chapter 19

"A man cannot free himself from the past any more easily than he can from his own body."—Andre Maurois

 

            She was not nervous.  The daughter of Maleficent, the Mistress of all Evil did not get nervous.  Certainly not over something as foolish as a date.  So what if she had never actually been on one before?  She would be fantastic at it, just like she was at everything else. 

 

            Evie was taking advantage of it being Saturday to take a long bath involving bubbles and things that fizzed and a million other things that Mal had never seen before and was deeply suspicious of. 

 

            Not that she was getting a good look at them in action.  Evie had closed the door and made it very clear that one kiss did not equal the privilege of seeing her naked.  Like Mal had never seen a naked woman before.  For Evil’s sake, Evie had nothing that she didn’t have herself. 

 

            On the Isle, bodies weren’t really considered private.  You used yours for what it was designed for, which was attracting the opposite sex.  Sometimes it was for attracting the same sex.  Monogamy was considered foolish at best.  Why give up all the opportunities that sex brought?  Mal had seen men and women naked pretty much from the time she had been allowed to go into the marketplace.  It wasn’t a surprise to her.

 

            But she couldn’t help but admire Evie’s stubborn insistence on her privacy.  She knew that Mal had seen things that she hadn’t, and that those things had been forbidden to Evie under the guise of being ‘too adult’ for her.  If someone had told Mal that, she would have wasted no time getting to know those adult secrets, whether she would have actually wanted to know them or not under any other circumstances.

 

            Evie wanted to know them, too, Mal could tell.  But she was willing to wait, and not give up all of her secrets so easily.  There was a script to be followed, and, in Evie’s world, naked bubbled baths did not come before the first real date, no matter how cute Mal tried to be. 

 

            “Evie?  I’m going out for just a minute!  I’ll be back before you get out, since you’re apparently going to stay in there until you drown!”

 

            There was laughter from the other side of the door.  “Not everyone wakes up as effortlessly beautiful as you do.  Some of us have to work at it!”

            Mal didn’t think that Evie needed to work at it.  Truth be told, she preferred the way Evie looked when she was less pampered and made up.  First thing in the morning, when her face was flushed and make-up free and her hair was tangled was Mal’s favorite way to see her Princess.  “I think you look great without all that crap!  But I’ll be back.”

 

            “You’re sweet.  I’ll be done in a few minutes.”

 

            That meant she had to move fast.  “Ok.”

 

            She had taken Jay’s advice and approached the kitchen for help with putting together a picnic for Evie.  She had told them that they were just hanging out and doing homework, even though she wanted to tell them the truth and claim Evie as hers in front of everyone.  But apparently it was going to be a huge deal when everyone found out, and Evie wasn’t ready for that yet. 

 

            If they had been back on the Island, no one would have thought it was a big deal.  It didn’t really matter if they were both girls, except for more of the men who hung around the market would want to watch and make comments. 

 

            She knew that part of the reason, and maybe most of the reason, was that Evie was ashamed of her.  She claimed that it wasn’t true, but Mal could spot a lie a mile away.   It was fine.  It wasn’t like she didn’t understand what the problem was.   Appearances were important, especially when you were the Princess of a country.  Plenty of people in Auradon hated her and Carlos, and that was without them doing anything wrong.  Well, not yet, anyway.  People looked at them with suspicion, and her announcing that she was banging Evie was not going to help. 

 

            Plus, Evie hadn’t exactly told anyone about the ‘I like girls’ thing.  While Mal would have been perfectly happy to shock Auradon by grabbing Evie and kissing her soundly in front of the entire class, school, royal family, and kingdom, she had to show a little bit of decorum.  But it was really fun to imagine the looks on everyone’s faces when they realized that Mal was with the most beautiful and desirable girl in the Kingdom.  Ha, screw all of them.

 

            She raced down to the kitchen, ignoring the looks she was getting from some of the other students.  Who cared?  Let them think that she was up to some nefarious plot, or that she was running from some terrible thing she had done.  She had more important things to worry about. 

 

            Chip was already in the kitchen, with a large basket set aside.  “Here you are, Miss Mal.  You know, I usually only set this up for actual dates.”

 

            He was not as subtle as he thought he was, but Mal just grinned.  “It’s a roommate date.  I want to thank her for everything she’s done for me the past few weeks.”  And everything Evie would be doing for her in the future, but no need to let that slip.  Having a secret was quite fun, and also quite rare around here. 

 

            “Well that’s a lovely gesture.  I’ve packed all of her favorites, and some strawberries for you.  If you find anything else that you really like, let us know for next time.”

 

            “Thank you.”  She was proud that she remembered to say it without being prompted and without an overly long pause.  Not that she cared one way or the other, but she was trying to keep a low profile here.   People noticed when you didn’t have nice manners. 

 

            Evie was still in the bathroom when she came back, but she was out of the tub and blow drying her hair.  “Are you almost finished in there?”

 

            “Almost!  I can finish in the room if you need the bathroom!”  She poked her head out.  “What is that?”

 

            “This is a picnic, so you and I could go on the date I promised you. Believe me, Princess, I always keep my promises.”

 

            Evie raced over and gave her a hug, forgetting momentarily that she was wearing nothing but a towel.  “Thank you, Mal!  If you had told me we had plans, I would have moved a little faster.”

 

            Normally, Mal would have done everything possible to get things moving.  She was a thrill seeker, and staying cooped up in the dorm room while she could be out terrorizing the streets was killing her.  But it was Evie, so she got a pass.  “It’s cool.  Are you ready for romance?”

 

            “Do you mean gang activity?”  Evie smiled at her, and it made Mal’s heart melt a little.  Just a little, though.  Maybe more of a drip than an actual melt.

 

            “I mean let’s go.  Some of this stuff is getting warm.”  She had to get out of this room and away from these horrible feelings.  “I have a place picked out.”

 

            “Well you’re just full of surprises, aren’t you?  Lead on, Mal.”

 

            It was a lot easier to keep control of things when they were moving.  She didn’t have to make eye contact, she didn’t have to be drawn in to hugs or a bunch of attention, and she didn’t have to think too much about how much it pleased her to see Evie happy. 

 

            She was surprised when Evie reached out and took the handle of the picnic basket, helping her hold it and lightening the load.  They walked side by side until they made it back to the spot.  Mal had to admit that Jay had been right about this place.  Even though there were lots of other kids around, the bushes blocked them from view and muffled a lot of the sounds. It really was kind of like having their own place.

 

            “This was a really sweet idea, Mal.  Thank you for thinking of me.”  Evie reached out and brushed the hair away form Mal’s face.  “I know this wouldn’t be your first choice.”

 

            Maleficent was always complimenting Mal on her ability to hide her emotions and thoughts.  It was one of the few things that he did compliment Mal on.  So why was it so easy for Evie to see right through her?  “I don’t’ know if it is or not.  I’ve never been on a picnic before.”  She couldn’t see how it would be the slightest bit interesting, but maybe she would be surprised.  She had certainly been surprised many times in Auradon already.

 

            Even though she had never been on a picnic before, she had seen pictures of people having one, and had done a little research of her own, so she had some idea of what to do.   What had been packed for her matched the pictures exactly, right down to the red and white checkered blanket.

 

            In all the pictures, the boy was the one who set up the blanket, and poured the drinks and did everything that needed.  But there was no boy here.  Did that mean Mal was supposed to do it?

 

            While she was still debating, Evie took charge and opened the basket.  “What did they pack? Oooh, cherry soda!”  She pulled out a can and popped the top, drinking deeply.    

 

            Ok, so they could each get their own.  That was good.  This was what Mal was used to. But then Evie pulled out a drink for Mal, too.   Weird.  Maybe girls were just supposed to work together instead of one person doing all the work.

 

            There was plenty of variety in what had been packed, so Mal took a small bite of everything.  She liked it all, but still maintained that the strawberries were, and would always be, her favorite.

 

            “What’s the best part about being here in Auradon?” Evie took another sip of her drink, her eyes somewhere else. 

 

            It was a good question.  If anyone but Evie had asked it, Mal would have given them a flippant.  ‘All my dreams are coming true.’ and let them think that they knew what she was talking about.  True, her dreams were coming true, but she doubted that most of Auradon wanted to find out that her dreams tended to include things like world domination and other less then ladylike pursuits.  Her dream of getting off the Island had been achieved; now she needed to focus on having and ruling a kingdom of her very own. 

 

            But she wouldn’t say that to Evie.  First of all, the other girl would have no problem seeing the lie and calling Mal out on it.  Secondly, she didn’t like the way the thought of lying to Evie made her feel.  If they were going to be Queens together, they needed to have total trust in each other.  

 

            “You.”  It wasn’t a lie, though it certainly wasn’t as truthful as the first answer would have been.   But Evie was a very, very, close second to her ambitions.  Sometimes, especially late at night or at times like this, Evie wiggled her way into first place.   Which was why Mal had every intention of making Evie a queen right alongside herself.  Why should she have to choose between the things she wanted the most?   She could have them all, and she intended to.  She was not going to limit herself by listening to anyone’s rules but her own. 

 

            Evie blushed bright red.  “That’s sweet.  You’re full of shit, but that’s sweet anyway”

 

            See, this was why Mal liked Evie so much.  Not only was she not fooled by Mal’s bullshit, but she had no fear of calling her out on it.  Every ruler needed someone who was not afraid to stand up to them and tell them when they were acting like an idiot.  Too many people, her mother included, surrounded themselves with morons who just nodded at anything their boss suggested.  It always led to their downfall.  Evie wouldn’t let that happen to her.  “Ok, I like the food a lot, too.”

 

            “That I believe.”  She took another sip of her soda and gave Mal an evaluating look.  “Do you still miss home a lot?”

 

            “Yes.”  And she did.  She missed it so much sometimes that it was a physical pain some days.  She missed the freedom and the feel of the wind in her hair when she jumped off of the closest building, landing perfectly on the ground and walking away.  She missed the wildness of knowing that she could take care of herself, no matter what the circumstances, and that she had the freedom to defend herself using whatever means necessary.  Men who didn’t want to be stabbed in the thigh shouldn’t try and harass girls who carried knives.  She missed not having to keep to a schedule, and being able to come and go as she pleased.  She had been treated as an equal among the people of the Island, and now she was treated as nothing more than a child.    

 

            She even missed her mother.  As much as she hated the woman (and for the love of Evil, she hated her sometimes), she had to admit that there was comfort in familiarity. Or, as they said it here in Auradon ‘Better the devil you know’. 

 

            And she couldn’t deny that the woman was better at plotting than she was.  Mal thought that her ideas were better, but Maleficent had the advantage of having actually carried out an evil scheme.  It failed in the end, but there had been plenty of good years while Aurora slumbered and Maleficent ruled the kingdom.

 

            Not that Mal would know.  Apparently her mother was either far too busy ruining a country to bother fucking the men folk, or she had been far more careful in either using protection or getting rid of any unwanted pregnancies then she would be on the Island.  Either way, she was gracious enough to wait to have Mal until they were living in utter squalor.  How kind of her. 

 

            Once it became clear that Mal would be going to Auradon, whether she like it or not, Maleficent had decided to pass on her motherly wisdom in a touching mother-daughter moment where Mal learned all about the protecting herself from those pesky birds and bees, and in ways that didn’t involve knives or threatening to remove some boys genitalia.   In doing so, Maleficent made it very clear that if Mal needed to fuck some boy to get herself closer to the wand, then she better pull her panties down and at least pretend to enjoy it. 

 

            But she better not get pregnant. No man wanted a squalling brat to take care of, especially one that had come out of a villain.  Mal was to insist that the boy use a condom, and even then Maleficent taught her a spell that would prevent pregnancy if it was done correctly.  And if it wasn’t, there was a potion to take that would rid her of any unwanted pregnancy. 

 

            It seemed like overkill, but Maleficent was quick to assure her that it wasn’t.  A baby would ruin her looks and body.  She would become slow and ugly, her body stretched out and useless.   Her breasts would sag, and her ankles would swell.

 

            And that was the easy part!  Once the spawn was born, you were stuck with it, unless you took the smart route and abandoned it somewhere.  If you didn’t, they were nothing but a massive drain on your time, money, and resources.  They didn’t become useful until they were Mal’s age, if then.

 

            At the time, Mal had rolled her eyes.  “Why didn’t you let them take me, then?  Then you would have been rid of me and back to your oh so glamorous life.”

 

            “I didn’t spend 27 hours in labor with your sorry self to just give you away to the first Auradon moron willing to take you on.  I put in the work, and I’ll be the one to reap the rewards, thank you very much.  Like it or not, Sweetheart, you owe me, and you will be getting me off this rock.”

 

            Mal couldn’t see how she owed her mother anything.  So the woman had birthed her, big deal.  Mangy dogs managed to push out their puppies.  That was nothing but instinct and nature.  As far as raising her, Jafar had done at least as much of that as her mother had, probably more.   When this all went down, Maleficent was in for an ugly surprise if she thought that Mal was just going to roll over and hand her Auradon.

 

            “Do you miss your Mom?  I couldn’t imagine being separated from mine.”  Evie fussed a little with her hair.  “Or are you glad to be away from her?  I think Carlos is glad to be away from his mother.”

 

            “If my mother treated my like his mother treated him, I would be glad to get away from her, too.” While Maleficent was an evil bitch, and certainly negligent, she wasn’t outright abusive.  “But, yes, I miss my mother.  Probably not like you would miss yours, but I do miss her a lot.”

 

            Thinking about Maleficent and the Isle caused a heaviness to descend on their picnic. Evie leaned back on her elbows.  “Would you want to talk to her if you could?”

 

            Was that even possible?  The thought of Maleficent seeing her, and knowing how little progress she was making made her stomach clench.  But maybe she would have a suggestion for how to move things along.   It was getting closer and closer to the coronation, and she still didn’t know how she was going to not only grab the wand, but get back to the barrier in time to break it.   “Is that possible?”

 

            “I know it’s possible.  Dad puts out proclamations all the time.   I just don’t know how feasible it is to track your mother down specifically, or if it would even be allowed.  But I can ask.”

 

            Did she want Evie to ask?  “I don’t know.”

 

            “Think about it and let me know.  Now, let’s talk about something else.”  Evie deftly steered the conversation to other things.  Homework, classes, who was dating and had broken up with whom. 

 

            It made Mal feel distressingly normal, like she belonged here in Auradon, talking about these normal things.  But she didn’t.  The city of Auradon was a trap, just like the bed in her dorm room.  It was beautiful, and soft, and inviting.  It drew you in and made you want to sit down on it.  And when you did, it was so comfortable that you had to lie down and rest for a bit.  Sure, you had other things to do, but they didn’t seem important once you were snuggled in under the covers.   Before you knew it, you had fallen asleep and lost the entire day.  Auradon did the same thing to her.  There was Evie, and lessons and, working on her magic, and going on picnics, and suddenly the day was over and she was no closer to her goal than she had been when it started.  She had to focus more and sleep less.  

 

            After the picnic, of course.  She could start her new focus driven life after the picnic. 

 

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            “Die, fucker.”  Jay pounded on the controller, taking out another flying bug.  He had homework to be working on, but he was going to push it off.  He had better things to do. 

 

            Well, if by ‘better things’ you meant ‘lay around the dorm room in my pajamas drinking soda and playing video games for 2 days straight’.  It was sort of shameful, but he didn’t really care.  He would regret this indulgence when he got back on the Tourney field after eating nothing but empty carbs and carbonated sugar for the past few days, but it was worth it to wallow in self pity for a while. 

 

            He was so involved in his game that he ignored the first knock on the door.  Chad had texted last night, wanting to meet him out on the Tourney field for some extra practice, but Jay had ignored it.    He just didn’t have the heart for it right now.

 

            This time the knock was louder, and Fairy Godmother was calling through the wood.  “Jay, I know that you’re awake.  I need you to come to the door.”

 

            Briefly, he considered ignoring her again, but that never worked out well.  Once Fairy Godmother decided she needed to speak to you, she would stalk you relentlessly until she achieved her goal.   This was a woman who not only singlehandedly got Cinderella to the ball using nothing but garbage and mice, but had been in charge of teenagers since his parents had been in school.  This woman took no bullshit.  “Alright, I’m coming.  Let me put some clothes on!” 

 

            He was already dressed, but he had a feeling he better hide some of those empty soda cans and chip packets before he earned himself a lecture.  He had raided Carlos’ food box and eaten most of the candy and snacks.  It was all getting old and he didn’t think Carlos was coming back anyway.   

 

            But when he finally opened the door, there was Carlos, looking exactly as he had when he left.  “Fuck.”

 

            For once, no one said anything about his dirty mouth.  If there was ever a situation where swearing was ok, this was it.  “Hey, you’re back.”  He reached out for Carlos, and was shocked when the other boy flinched back.  He hadn’t done that in forever. 

 

            Looking past Carlos, he could see that both Fairy Godmother and Evie’s dad were in the hallway.  He smiled at both of them while stepping sideways to allow Carlos to enter the room.  The Pup was nervous, and he needed to be ignored for a few minute so he could settle in and reorient himself.  Evie’s Dad looked worried, but he was trying to cover it.  “Jay, you’re excused from class tomorrow, as is Carlos.  You are also excused from Tourney if you would like to be.  I’ve already spoken to your teachers and Coach.  The two of you need to take a day before getting back into the swing of things.  It will also give Carlos a chance to start getting caught up on his schoolwork.”

 

            Jay didn’t know how to say what he needed to without sounding rude, so he crossed his fingers and hoped that it would go ok since it was Evie’s father he was talking to.  “Ok, thanks.”  Then he dropped his voice. “He would be happier if you guys left.  No offense.”  He hated kick them out, especially since he had a million questions about everything that had happened, but he couldn’t focus on himself right now.  He had to make Carlos as comfortable as possible, since the Pup couldn’t speak up for himself.

 

            The King gave him an odd look, as if Jay had said or done something strange.  It wasn’t an angry or offended look, just questioning.  But he didn’t say anything directly.  “Understood.  Carlos, I’m glad to see that you’re back with us, and I would be very pleased to see you come to dinner at the castle soon.”

 

            Carlos gave him the patented blank look, but he nodded.  Fairy Godmother shot Evie’s dad a look.  “Adam, you need to tell Jay-“

 

            “Marraine.”  The King spoke quietly but sharply, brooking no argument. 

 

            It made Jay startle, the same way he did any time someone called Fairy Godmother by her fist name.   It wasn’t that he didn’t know she had one, but Fairy Godmother was a rare title, far rarer than that of ‘doctor’ or ‘scholar’.   They all addressed her by it, as a sign of respect for the work she had put in to earning it.  Sometimes it was easy to forget that she even had a real name, or a life outside of what they saw at school. Everyone had a life outside of him and what he saw.  It was strange to think about. 

 

            But what were they talking about? Had Carlos done something? Had something happened to him while he was away?  Was he hurt?  He was going to have to ask Carlos, because clearly the adults weren’t going to tell him anything.  

            Fairy Godmother decided against whatever she had been about to say.  “Goodbye, Carlos.  I’ll see you in class in a few days.”

 

            He raised one hand and gave a small wave.  It was more response than she usually got, which was nice. 

 

            Then the adults were gone and it was just him and Carlos.  Jay sat down on his bed and waited patiently for Carlos to approach him.  “I’m glad you’re back, and I’m not mad about anything, ok?  I’m sorry that Dude got loose and scared you.”

 

            Carlos worried about absolutely everything, and it helped a lot if you could anticipate what his problems might be and let him know that it was ok.  Sure enough, his words convinced the Pup to come over.

 

            Jay stood and wrapped his arms gently around Carlos, holding the kid close.  “I missed you.”

 

            To his great shock, Carlos brought up his own arms, putting them around Jay’s back.  It was a loose and awkward hold, but it was a hug, and that was something new.  Then something happened that eclipsed it all.  “Missed you.”

 

            So he could talk.  He could talk!  Jay wasn’t sure what to do with this information, but this was the biggest thing to happen since…well, since Carlos and Mal had arrived.  He squeezed tighter, this time lifting Carlos off of the ground. “You have no idea how much it has sucked here without you.”

 

            Carlos didn’t say anything else, but he didn’t need to.  He had talked.  He was able to do it.  So what if he didn’t want to do it again right this second?  He would do it when he wanted to, and he would get better and better at it.  If there was an emergency, he would be able to let them know, and that was what mattered the most.    “So, you want me to reset the system over there?  I’ve been practicing, and I’m pretty sure I can kick your ass.”

 

            He was dying to know everything about where Carlos had been and what he had been doing, but there was no point in forcing things. When Carlos wanted to tell him, he would.     

 

            It wasn’t until he had set up the second controller and was retrieving the last two sodas that he noticed what Carlos was wearing.  “Hey, you found my jacket.  Could you hear me that first night? Were you close enough?”

 

            Carlos nodded, his eyes already on the screen.

 

            So Jay had been right after all.  “If there hadn’t been so many people around, would you have come to me?”

 

            A definite head shake.  That surprised him, since he thought that Carlos trusted him more than that.  “Well, I’m glad you came back.  You can keep the jacket.  It looks better on you, anyway.”

 

            While he hadn’t heard of anyone bullying Carlos (and he really wasn’t sure that Carlos would notice or care if they did, as long as it didn’t turn physical), putting his jacket on Carlos was a clear signal that the smaller boy was his, and under his protection. 

                         

            “So, I kind of ate most of your stuff.  Sorry, Pup, I didn’t think you were coming back for it.  I can get you some more tomorrow.” 

 

            Carlos shrugged, his eyes turned away.   Then he said something, but it was too soft and gravelly for Jay to understand.  “What was that?”

 

            Again, it was too soft and mumbled, but Jay thought he was able to pick out a few words “…mad….me”. 

 

            From that, Jay was able to guess the rest. “Am I mad at you?” 

 

            A nod.  Carlos held the controller loosely in his lap, not really focusing on either it or Jay.  “Of course not.  Why would I be mad at you?”

 

            I L-E-F-T.  This time he spelled it instead of speaking.  For the moment, it was easier for both of them.  

 

            ‘I left’ was rather an optimistic view of Carlos’ bolt from the Tourney field, but they could go with it for now.   “I’m not mad.  I was scared.”

 

            WHY?  Now he had the other boy’s full attention.   YOU WERE SAFE

           

            “I know I was.  I was worried about you, and that something would happen to you.”

 

            Carlos quirked a brow, looking more confused than ever.  WHY?

 

            For a minute, Jay thought that Carlos might be joking with him, but there was no humor in the smaller boy’s eyes.  “Why was I worried about you?” 

 

            Because I love you.   I love you like I love Evie, and you’re my family now.   The thought was simple.  Because you’re smart and brave and I know that you can make it on your own, but you shouldn’t have to.  Because you’re my roommate and my friend and I want you to understand that I won’t let anything happen to you.  No one here will.  “Because I didn’t know where you were.  I didn’t know if you were hurt, or if you were lost in the woods.   I didn’t know if you were hungry or scared.”

 

            He wasn’t sure if Carlos really understood him, but the other boy nodded thoughtfully, so he let it go.  Even after being here for months, he still didn’t really get that other people cared about him, and wanted what was best for him with no expectation of a return.  

 

            “Anyway, you want to play?” He had a sense that now was the time to back off and not pester Carlos with too many questions.  He set up the screen and let the game envelop him.  Even though it was the same thing he had been doing all morning, it felt right now, rather than like he was going through the motions. 

 

            Carlos didn’t say anything while they played, but that was ok.  He had proven that he could do it, and Jay knew that he would do it again. 

 

            They played for a while, until Carlos decided it was time to get started on homework.  He really was the weirdest guy. 

 

            He wasn’t sure whether the seating arrangements had changed, but Carlos just grabbed his stuff and climbed up next to him, as if the past two weeks had never happened.  Somehow the feel of Carlos sitting next to him made homework a little easier to tolerate.  “So, um, I’m a little behind.”

 

            ‘A little behind’ was an understatement.  He had a stack of homework almost as large as the one he had just handed to Carlos.  He had really been slacking.  “I might need some help.”

 

            Carlos laughed, and, for the first time, there was noise behind it.  Then he startled, as if he hadn’t realized he was about to make any noise at all.  Jay guessed it took a little getting used to.  “So you work and I’ll work and maybe you can help me with the math when we get there?” 

 

            They had only worked a few minutes when Jay had to ask.  “So, Mal said something to me while you were gone.  Something about my…” He stopped there because he wasn’t sure what to call the man.  “Something about Jafar.  Do you know anything about him?”

 

            Head shake.  “Nothing?”

 

            “Mal’s.” It was barely bigger than a whisper. 

 

            “What’s Mal’s?”  Jay was confused.  “Jafar is Mal’s?” 

 

            Even though that didn’t make any sense, Carlos nodded.  Jay thought for a second, and a horrible thought popped into his mind. “Wait, he’s not her father too is he?  Is Mal my sister?”

 

            Carlos’ face twisted into such a look of shock and horror that Jay couldn’t help but laugh.  “I’m going to take that as a ‘no’”   Thank Goodness.  He couldn’t imagine actually being related to her.   His half sister would be dating his chosen sister and the creep factor didn’t get much higher than that.  “Please tell me it means no.”

 

            The smaller boy slid off the bed and retrieved his whiteboard.  He carefully wrote out his and Mal’s names on the board.  Then he wrote ‘Jafar’ and ‘Maleficent’ near Mal, and ‘Cruella’ and ‘Darling’ near his own.  Two quick lines separated the two.  

 

 “So Jafar belongs to Mal, because he and Maleficent raised her.  You belong to Cruella and Darling, because they raised you.  And the paths didn’t cross.”

 

            Nod, this time with a delighted little smile.  For someone who had been so stubborn about speaking, Carlos really did like to communicate.  Again, weird guy.  “So you can’t tell me anything?”

 

            SORRY. 

 

            Disappointment flooded Jay’s chest, but he tried not to show it.  “It’s fine.  I was just curious about a few things Mal said, and I don’t trust her to tell me the truth.”

 

            “Smart.”  He was a little louder now, gaining confidence in his own voice.  “We lie.”

 

            It didn’t escape Jay’s notice that Carlos included himself in that.  “You lie too?  About what?”

 

            “I talk.”  It was said complete with eye roll that let Jay hear the rest even if it was never spoken.   Duh, Jay, you’re smarter than this.

 

            “You never said you couldn’t, did you?  So not exactly a lie.  Not really the truth, but not exactly a lie.  Come on, you can do better than that.”  Clearly Carlos wanted to tell him something, and was just now able to express it. 

 

            “We-“  Whoever ‘we’ was, and what the secret might be was lost when Evie burst into the room without knocking.  “Ben said you were back!  Do you know how worried about you we were?  Where have you been?  Are you hurt?”  She wrapped her arms around him.  “I missed you.”

 

            It was always fun to see calm, self-assured diplomat Evie turn into normal 16 year old girl Evie.  Logically, she had to know that he wasn’t going to be able to answer any of her questions.  While he was making strides, Carlos still had to think about the signs before he formed them, and he got confused if you asked for too much at once.  If you asked as many questions as Evie just had, he shut down completely.                          

           

            But there were two things that Jay noticed right away.  Even though he liked Evie, and was giving her a genuine smile, Carlos didn’t hug her back the way he had done to Jay.  He certainly didn’t talk to her.  Instead he gave Jay a slightly panicked look.  “Evie, you’re crushing him.   How about you give him a chance to breathe?”

 

            It wasn’t until Evie had let Carlos go and was looking him over for injuries that Mal chose to speak.  “So you’re back.  You’ve made things pretty difficult for me.”   Her tone was unreadable.

 

            Carlos just looked at her, neither startled nor impressed.  The two of them seemed to have found a fragile outward peace, but Jay always sensed the storm brewing underneath.  It wouldn’t take much to set them off into enemies again.  Without a further word, Mal spun on her heel and stalked out.

 

            Once she was gone, Jay thought that Carlos might speak to Evie, but he remained stubbornly silent.  Furthermore, he gave Jay a quick glance, one that warned him not to reveal their secret. 

 

            Evie put a hand on her hip.  “So you’re not going to talk to me?  Because I’ve already heard all about it.”

 

            Carlos opened his mouth, either to ask who had told her or to try and prove he couldn’t speak, but shut it quickly when Mal reappeared.  She whipped a hand out from behind her back and tossed something at Carlos.  He didn’t dodge quite fast enough, and the blur of orange bounced off his hip and onto the bed. 

 

            Curiously, Carlos picked it up and studied it, before breaking into a happy smile.  A pack of Peanut Butter Cups.    Despite everything, Mal had taken the time to not only pick out his favorite snack, but to hold on to it until he came back. 

 

            THANK YOU.  He signed it quickly while popping open the package.  Then he did something that surprised them again.   Instead of eating both, he took one out and offered it to back to Mal.  She hesitated, than took it.

 

            They were actually sharing.  Jay didn’t know about Mal, but he knew that it was very hard for Carlos to give up food.  He was usually fine if it was something like a pizza that they were sharing, or if they were in the cafeteria and he could see that there was enough t replace it.  Even with Jay, though, he could be sketchy about things that were solely his.  It was the reason Jay had waited so long to touch the stuff in his food box, and why he didn’t bother it when Carlos was around. 

 

            He shot a quick glance at Evie, who looked just as surprised as he did.  Carlos and Mal weren’t relaxed by any stretch, but it was something at least.  Carlos stepped backwards, bumping his body into Jay’s own.  He had amazing awareness of his surroundings at all times, so Jay knew that it was on purpose.  He put on hand on the smaller boy’s back, rubbing gently.  Right before he disappeared, Carlos had begun to actively seek out closeness and touch from him.  Jay had thought that they would be taking a few steps back after him being gone for so long, but it seemed the opposite was true.  While Carlos had been asking for affection before he vanished, the hug he had giving Jay earlier was the first time he had offered it.    

 

            It was interesting that he sought it now, though.  While Carlos had never liked Mal, this was the first time he had shown nerves or fear around her.  Before he had always been spoiling for a fight.  Now he was stressed out from just a few words.  Jay wondered what exactly she had said to upset him.  What did ‘you made things difficult for me mean?’

 

            Wisely, Evie didn’t push the talking issue any further.  If he wouldn’t do it for her, he definitely wouldn’t do it in front of Mal.  “So, where do we go from here?”

 

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            He was tired.  Carlos picked at the sleeves of his shirt, glad that they were long.  It gave him something to do.  He wished that Evie and Mal would go away and let him have a nap.  He wanted to do it, and even opened his mouth to try, but nothing came out.  He tapped Jay’s arm twice and raised one eyebrow.  Hopefully that was clear enough.

 

            It was.  Jay took Evie’s arm and gently turned her back to the door.  “Don’t the two of you have class right now?  I don’t want Fairy Godmothers wrath coming down in here.”

 

            She took the hint.  “You’re right.  Mal, come on.  Carlos, we’re glad that you’re back.”

 

            Mal stared him down, a little big of green light in her eyes.  “We’re very, very glad.”

 

            She sounded very sweet.  Carlos knew better.  The sweeter Mal appeared, the more she was seething inside.  She was seriously pissed off at him. He got it.  They had had a plan, and he was the one who had fucked it over.  Maleficent didn’t give second chances, and he had a feeling that Mal wouldn’t either. 

 

            Carlos didn’t know how to feel about that.  He didn’t want to be here.  He didn’t want to go home.  He wanted the people he cared about safe, but, above all of that, he wanted to be safe himself.  There had to be a way to make all of that happen, but he hadn’t been able to figure it out.  So he just settled for giving Mal his best blank look. 

 

            Unfortunately for him, she had long since realized that the blank look was a cover, and that he understood exactly what was going on.  She stared him down on again, and the green was more prominent.  “I’ll see you in class tomorrow.  Don’t forget, we have a project to work on, and you’ve dumped me with all the work over the past few weeks.  You’re going to have to catch up.”

 

            So he was going to get a second chance after all.  It wasn’t because she wanted to do it, that much was clear.  Mal hated him, and the only reason she would allow him to continue on with the plan would be that she was unsure of her ability to do it alone.  That wasn’t good, because he was unsure of their ability to do it together, even in the best case scenario he could come up with. 

 

            The girls were gone before he had to think of an appropriate reply.  Good.  There probably wasn’t an answer that was going to please both of them.  Or either of them. 

 

            It wasn’t until the door clicked shut behind them that he realized Jay still had a hand against his back.  He wasn’t rubbing any more, but Carlos could easily feel each finger pressed against his spine. 

 

He didn’t know if he liked it or not.  Back home, people touched him, too, but it wasn’t a good thing.  Cruella could swing at him with no warning and for no reason.  Good days were when she just used her fist.  Bad days were when she found a weapon.   Other people, liked to grab at him as well.  And an unattended little boy had a certain amount of value, even if Cruella didn’t think so.  He could be sold to Mistress Gothel for use in her business, he could be set to work, even the pirates consider taking him in.  Ug, that idea was worse than Cruella.  

 

            The only person who actually used gentle hands on him was Darling.  Grimhilde.  He supposed he should think of her by her actual name, but it felt strange to think of her that way when he was so used to thinking of her as someone else.   The irony of him thinking of her by an affectionate nickname while he could only think of his own mother by her first name did not escape him. 

 

            But he wouldn’t have let Darling do what Jay was doing, either.  If he was able to pull away from her (and sometimes he couldn’t, depending on how badly hurt he was), he did.   He had been doing it as long as he could remember, and she stopped trying to touch him unless she needed to.

 

            It was different here.  Here everyone wanted to touch him.  Fairy Godmother wanted to pat his shoulder, Evie wanted to hug him, Anita wanted to give him kisses and Jay liked to put an arm around him.  What he wanted didn’t really matter. 

 

            Ok, maybe it mattered a little.  Jay touched him all the time now, but he didn’t at first.  At first he moved slowly and carefully, and immediately backed off if he thought Carlos was uncomfortable and had had enough.  Anita always gave him the choice about whether he was going to come to her or not.  And if he didn’t want to, she didn’t force him.  

 

            Weirdly, that made him want to go to her.  No one had ever given him choices before.  Cruella shouted his list of chores down the stairs at him, and they had moved long past the point where she felt that she needed to add ‘or else’ to what she was telling him.  They both knew what she meant.  Carlos was to have them done in an impossible time frame, and Maleficent forbid he forgot any of them.  Him not doing them to her satisfaction was a forgone conclusion.  People told him what to build, and he did it.  Barges came on schedule, and he had to be there or get nothing.  And going home with nothing wasn’t a choice, it was death wish.

 

            He leaned back against Jay’s hand, and the other boy started rubbing again.  Ah- ha, it worked.  This was such an interesting experiment.  Every action had a reaction that went along with it.  That was just how things worked.  If he acted nervous and backed up, Jay would put a hand on him.   That was step one.  He was just setting the stage, seeing how Jay would react with minimal stimulus.  From there, he had two choices.  If he stepped away, Jay wouldn’t chase him.  If he leaned in, Jay would rub his back. 

 

            What Carlos found as fascinating as Jay’s responses, though, were his own.  When Jay touched him, it sent tingles up and down his spine and made his face feel hot.  At first, he thought was just a spinal reflex, but it didn’t happen when Evie or Anita touched him.   It wasn’t that he didn’t accept or even enjoy their touches; it was just that it was differed.  When they did it, it calmed him down.  When Jay did it, it fired him up. 

 

            There was obviously something happening here, but he couldn’t quite wrap his mind around it.  He was definitely going to need more time to observe and experiment.  He stepped away and rubbed at his eyes.   It wasn’t even that he was that tired.  He had slept longer than usual at Anita and Roger's house and he never needed that much sleep to start with.  Yes, his circadian rhythms were messed up, since he had been sleeping during the day and not at night, but he had done that before.

 

            Maybe it was all of these stupid emotions he was suddenly having.   It was easier on the Island when he just ignored everyone unless they needed something from him.   He was pleasing them, but there were very clear guidelines on how to accomplish that.  He made their object, they were happy, they paid him.  Done deal with no emotions involved. 

 

            Pleasing people here was different.  He could still do it through his actions, at least some of the time.   He could coast on the fact that he had talked in front of Fairy Godmother and Anita for a long time.

 

            He was really proud that he had done that.  Anita and Roger had been proud, too, which was good.   He liked pleasing them and not just because it meant they would do things for him.   Making them happy made him happy, which was weird.  But good weird, not bad weird.  

 

            Then he had done it for Jay, too.  It was actually easier with Jay, because there was only one of him, and he wasn’t in front of Fairy Godmother and the King.  Jay wasn’t threatening the way the adults were.  Jay was safety. 

 

            “You want a nap or something?  You hungry?”  Jay ran his fingers through his hair, trying to figure out what was wrong. 

 

            He didn’t know, so he just shrugged.  He wasn’t really that tired, and there wasn’t any food in the room since Jay had eaten it all.   If he asked for food, Jay would go get some, but he didn’t want Jay to leave.  

 

            “Do you want another hug?”  

 

            It was surprising, but that did seem like a good thing.  “Yeah.”  Did it take that much effort for everyone to speak?  It felt like the words were in his throat, but he had to use all of his lungpower to force them out.  How did anyone talk above a whisper?  Maybe it would be easier once he had used the muscles more.

             

            Jay’s hugs were different from Anita’s.   Anita was small and very gentle with him.  She treated him like he was breakable and special.  He liked it.  It was like he was one of his inventions and had to be treated with extra care.  He was never sure how to hug her back, but he would sometimes put his hand on hers.  She liked that.

 

              Jay was big and strong and liked to pick Carlos up off the ground.  He always smiled and sometimes liked to wrestle a little.  He didn’t try to hold Jay’s hand, though he thought about it sometimes.  He saw other people on campus holding hands, so maybe that was what he was supposed to do. That didn’t seem right, though, so he didn’t do it. But he did like tuck his head under Jay’s chin.  Jay’s body was big enough to absorb his own, and make him invisible.  And there was nothing Carlos enjoyed more than being invisible.  Even if Jay giving him a hug made his stomach feel kind of strange. 

 

            “Like I said, I’m really glad that you’re back.  I missed you and things are kind of falling apart without you.”

 

            Considering what the room liked like, Carlos had to agree.  But this was one of those times when he wasn’t supposed to tell anyone that.  They liked to talk about honesty here, and how it was always the best thing, but it turned out that it wasn’t.   If he said that it was falling apart, he was rude.  So honesty was the best policy, unless it wasn’t and you were rude.  At least at home dishonesty was the best policy 100% of the time.  Rules were clear there.  Here there were rules, but every rule had a million exceptions.  Be honest, but not too honest.  Do your work in class, but I’m going to bitch at you when you do it.  Shower daily and make sure to always wash your hands, but, come on Carlos, a little dirt never hurt anyone.   Why even have rules if you just spent all of your time making up exceptions?

 

            So he shrugged and laid his head on Jay’s chest.   He wasn’t going to focus on the rules, or the classes, or that fact that Mal was seriously pissed at him.  He was just going to take a few minutes and be proud of himself for what he had managed today.   

            He had made it to Roger and Anita’s without help.  He knew that his ability to memorize routes and routines was excellent and the reason the Mal needed his help in the first place, but it was a long way in the dark, and he hadn’t been afraid

 

            He had held a dog.  Ok, maybe it was a little tiny baby dog that didn’t have teeth or even eyes yet, but it was still a dog.  It hadn’t hurt him.   Maybe if you could get them when they were super tiny like that, you could make them imprint on you like a goose and that was how you controlled their vicious instincts.  It was still nerve wracking, but Anita and Roger wouldn’t let anything happen to him.  If they said the dog was ok, it was ok. 

 

            They had also said that the dog on campus, which was named Dude, was ok, too.  He wasn’t sure about that one, but he was willing to give it a shot.  Better it be this dog, which Roger and Anita seemed to know, than some strange dog that might be bigger and have more teeth and attack him instead of just chasing him.  At least Dude was small, even though he hadn’t seemed that way when he had been running at Carlos.   Maybe he was nice and maybe he wasn’t, but he felt like he had to at least make an effort to deal with it.  He had already revealed his weakness to the entire Tourney team, and now everyone, including the King himself, knew about it.   How humiliating. 

 

            Beyond humiliating, though, it was dangerous.  Now they knew that he was afraid of dogs, they would use that against him.   That was why he had told the King not to take Dude away. He would look brave and not run away from that dog again even if it killed him.  Which it might.  Dude might be small, but even small things had teeth.  He had proved that himself his first night here, when he tore a piece out of some guy who thought it was a good idea to grab at him. 

 

            They had promised that Dude would stay on a leash at all times, so he was going to have to grit his teeth and pet that nasty thing in front of everyone, so they could see that he wasn’t scared.   Then, once it all blew over, he could go back to avoiding the little beast.

 

            It wasn’t one of his best plans.  On the Island, he would have waited until he had something much better.  But this was Auradon.  The odds of him getting hurt or maimed weren’t anywhere near as high, so it would have to do. 

 

            A part of him felt like he should thank Jay, but he wasn’t sure why and couldn’t force the words out anyway.  This talking thing was going to take some practice and getting used to.

 

            He could do it, though.  He was capable and brave.  He knew he was, because Anita had told him so and he believed her.  Well, he wanted to.  No, he did.  Right?

 

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            “But what did he say?”  Evie had to fight not to cross her arms over her chest or raise her voice.  She was a lady and a diplomat.  Even if she did want to stomp her foot and scream.  “Other than, no, I mean.”

 

            “Evie, I don’t know.”  Her father rubbed the bridge of his nose.  “I didn’t hear him say anything at all.”

 

            “But you’re sure that he did?  Carlos talked, and you guys heard it.”  She had to be sure.  Yes, Carlos had told her that he could, but she had really begun to believe that he had lied to her about it. 

 

            “Fairy Godmother heard it, yes.  Carlos can talk after all.  I don’t know why he wasn’t doing it before, but he is quite capable.”

 

            Evie’s mind spun with selfish thoughts.  She should have been pleased for Carlos, for all of the new opportunities that proper speech would open up for him.  He wouldn’t be reliant on her or Jay to translate his wants and needs.  It would be easier to participate in class, and it would be an immense help to him socially.  She was aware that his lack of speech and interaction led a lot of the other students to treat him as younger or as if he was handicapped in some way.  That was if they interacted with him at all. 

 

            All of that was great, and would open new doors for Carlos.  But she wasn’t focusing on any of it.  All she could think about was the things he would be able to tell her now.  Mal didn’t really like talking about her life on the Island, and Evie strongly suspected that the pair had had vastly different experiences anyway, but she couldn’t help but be curious.  Carlos and Mal had lived the life that she would have had if they hadn’t taken her.  Her biological mother was on the Island, and so was her biological father, whoever he was. 

 

            Carlos might not be able to help her with her father, but he knew her mother in a way that no one else did.  He would be able to tell her how the woman had treated him.  Because that was how she would have raised Evie as well.

 

            Those thoughts were terrible, and not just because they were uncaring of Carlos and what was best for him.  They were uncaring of her real parents as well.  The three of them had talked a few times about her biological mother and how they had ended up with her, but it was hard.  Her Mom usually cried, and sometimes her Dad did, too.   Evie always cried.

 

            She was hurting her parents, when the loved her so much.  She loved them, too, but in a different way than she had before the truth came out.   Before she had loved them like a child.  In her eyes they were the most perfect parents in the world, even though she logically knew that couldn’t be true. 

 

            Now she didn’t love them any less, but she loved them in an adult way.  She saw their flaws, and understood that they made mistakes, just like she did.  In a way, that made her love them more, because she saw how hard they worked at being a family and loving both her and Ben.

 

            It was hard to think or talk about her old mother with her new parents, though.  It wasn’t that she didn’t love them, because she couldn’t possibly love them more.  She just wanted to know more about the woman who had given her her name, and the blood in her veins, and the blue hair that caught everyone’s eye.  Wasn’t that ok?  It had to be, but she couldn’t help but feel like she was picking at things better left alone.

 

            “Evie?  I want to ask you a question, and I want you to be honest with me.”  He waited until she made eye contact before continuing.  “How do you really think Carlos and Mal are doing here?”

 

            That was a loaded question if she had ever heard one, and not one that was easy to answer.  “How do you mean?  Physically, emotionally, academically?”

 

            He laughed and held out and arm, allowing her to snuggle underneath like she had when she was a little girl.  “Spoken like a true diplomat.  I know how they are doing academically and physically.  I want to know how they adjusting mentally and emotionally, from your point of view.  You room with Mal and spend a lot of time with Carlos.  I’m not asking you to reveal secrets or betray their trust.  I’m just asking what you observe as a peer.”

 

            What did she observe as a peer?  She saw Mal as something far more than peer, but what did she see if she backed off and looked objectively?  “I think they’re both improving a lot.  They shared today, which is a lot better than wanting to kill each other.”

 

            “That’s certainly an improvement.”  He nodded to himself.  “Carlos told me that he is happier here than he was on the Island.  Do you feel like the same is true for Mal?”

 

            That was something that Evie had wondered herself.  Mal liked her creature comforts, and she had a lot more of those here.  A warm soft bed in a room that was safe and free from drafts.  Not only enough food to eat, but food that he actually loved and had been chosen for her because she loved it.  New clothes, plenty of hot water, everything that she had dreamed of back on the Isle.

 

            But, as the old saying went, a beautiful cage was still a cage and Mal longed for her freedom.  She chafed under the rules here, even though they applied to everyone and were meant to keep her from harm.    

 

            And those were just the things that Mal had told Evie, not the entire truth of things.  Sometimes at night, Evie would wake up and find Mal standing in the window and staring out at the darkness.  Those nights there was a longing in the other girl’s eyes so deep that it seemed to swallow her whole. 

           

            Evie never bothered Mal on those nights.  The other girl knew that she was there, and that it was always ok to wake her if Mal needed something.  She had done it before.  If she wasn’t doing so now, it was because she wanted her privacy, and Evie had to respect that. 

 

            But it made her wonder what it was that Mal wanted so badly, and what she would give up to get it.  Would it be Auradon?  Almost definitely.  Would it be Evie?  Maybe.

 

            While she felt like Mal’s affection for her was genuine, she wasn’t foolish enough to think that it came without some ulterior motives.  What those motives were, and if they could be changed in time was the mystery.  “I think she is.  Her feelings are more complicated than his are.”

 

            “Do you think so?  I think he’s much more of a chameleon than she is.  He blends better, but it’s survival, not that he really fits in.”

 

            ‘Blends’ was not a term Evie would have ever used to describe Carlos.  Everything about him stuck out, from his clothes to his silence to his hair.  “He doesn’t blend.”

 

            “Maybe not outwardly, but he blends better into Auradon life than Mal does.  If she doesn’t like something, she has no problem letting you know, and continuing to let you know until you fix it for her.  Carlos just lets it slide, and that makes him appear easier and like he fits in more.”

 

            Ever since she had been a little girl, her father had been training her to be a diplomat once she was of age.  He encouraged her quick mind and her ability to think on her feet and swing any situation to her advantage.   Even when she was still young, she was able to get away with pushing limits and speaking to her elders in ways that Ben couldn’t, as long as she was able to back up what she was doing, and did it with a smile on her face and it a way that left no one feeling angry or foolish. 

 

            They hadn’t debated like this since the truth had come out, and she had been afraid that it was lost forever.  But now it was back and she felt herself grinning as she prepared to fight back.

 

            Only, he did have a point.  Evie had seen Carlos running drills at Tourney practice, and he did seem to fit in.  The other boys talked to him and included him in their huddles and paid attention to him when he tried to explain something through gestures.  They also babied him, but he didn’t seem to notice or care about that.

 

            People shied away from Mal, with her fierce glare and cutting attitude.  She had no desire to play nice with them and she had no problem making that clear.  It was only Evie and sometimes Jay who got to see her sweet side.  “Maybe.  But if he blends so well, how can you tell that he’s really happy here? He’s made up his mind to just accept it and go with the flow.”

 

            “You’ve certainly made a good point.  How can any of us be sure of what another person is really feeling?  That’s why I’m asking you for you observations.”  He sighed.  “I don’t know.  I want to believe that I’ve made things better for them, but it seems like they’re no better or worse than they started out.”

 

            “Things are better.  You can’t expect too much to change at once.”

 

            He nodded.  “That’s true.  So, I heard you and Mal had a little date this morning.”

 

            “What!  Whoa, no, it wasn’t a date!  It was a roommate date!  Just a friends thing, not a date!”  Evie was aware that her voice was squeaking and heat had risen to her face.  He knew.  Oh, Evil, how did he know?

 

            Her father burst out laughing.  “Evie!  I know that it wasn’t that sort of date.  I was just teasing you.  Is there a girl, though?  One that you really want to date?”  He sounded a little bit strained, but Evie had to give him credit for trying.  It couldn’t be easy to have your perceptions of your child changed so abruptly.

 

            “Yes.  But I don’t want to tell you who it is because I don’t know how she feels about me yet.  I don’t know if I’m enough for her.”  Without meaning to, her father had brought those hidden fears bubbling to the surface.

 

            “Of course you are.  You’re more than enough for anyone, boy or girl.  If this girl doesn’t see that, she’s not the one for you.” He reached out and took her hand gently.   “Remember, your mother thought that I was enough for her, even when I was a beast.  You’re already miles ahead of that.”

 

            In a way, it sort of stung that he had dismissed the idea of her and Mal so easily.  Mal was good enough to come to Auradon, but she wasn’t good enough for Evie.  Would she be good enough for anyone in Auradon, or would she always be considered a second class citizen?           Would Carlos?

 

            Evie wasn’t stupid.  She knew that she would never be the heir because of her bloodline.  It didn’t matter that she was possibly older than he was.  It didn’t matter that she was better at reading people and stronger when it came to making the tough decisions.  Ben was their biological son, and that was all that mattered.  She pretended that it didn’t bother her, but it did. 

 

            At times, she suspected that her father thought that she would have been the superior heir to the throne and ruler of Auradon, but he wasn’t willing to go against tradition.  That was why he was training her so hard to be a diplomat.  She was going to be expected to be Ben’s back up plan until he was able to handle things himself. 

 

            It wasn’t that she minded helping her brother out.  Of course she didn’t.  She just wished that she could have a chance to show everyone what she could do, too.  That she wasn’t incapable, or evil, or, immoral just because she didn’t share the royal blood. She was as good and strong as any of them. 

 

            Her father’s fingers tightened around hers.  “I don’t want to embarrass you, ok?  You can talk to me about anything, but you don’t have to.  Let’s get back to Mal and Carlos, though.  What do you think I can do to make things easier for both of them?”

 

            At least that was something she could answer.  “Loosen up.  You’re treating them like you treat us and they aren’t like us.  They’re not used to having to follow rules and curfews and it bothers them both.”  Mal had flat out raged about it, and she knew that Carlos wandered at night, frequently taking Jay with him as well.  They hadn’t been caught yet, but the day would come.

 

            “The rules apply to everyone.  I can’t allow them to be treated differently than the other students here.”  He sat back and studied her.  “Curfews and rules are there for their own safety.  If something were to happen to either of them late at night or while they were breaking the rules, the school could be in a lot of trouble.   Their parents could even have good chance of taking them back.”

 

            Evie sucked in a quick breath.  It hadn’t really occurred to her that Maleficent and Cruella still had rights to their children.   Neither one deserved them.  “Can they actually do that?”

 

            He nodded grimly.  “Yes. Any parent can pull their child from Auradon Prep for any reason at all.  If Cruella deVil were to show up tomorrow and demand to have Carlos back, I would have no choice but to hand him over.   He is her son and she has the right to take him home.”

 

            “But she hurt him.”  Her voice was small.  “You can’t give him back to a woman who abused and starved him.”

 

            “Did he tell you that she harmed him?  If you were to go to his room and ask him right now who put those marks and burn all over his body, would he say it was his mother?”

 

            Her stomach lurched.  She knew that Cruella mistreated Carlos based on his skittish behavior and the way he flinched when you moved to quickly.  She hadn’t thought of things like a mother being able to actually burn her own child.  “He might if someone asked him.”  But her voice was already fading. 

 

            “Do you want to take the risk?  Because I can try to take legal custody of him.  To do that, I would need to go to the courts and explain to them why I felt like she couldn’t take care of him.  And guess what? She would get to come, too.  Carlos would get to stand there in front of me, and his mother, and a courtroom full of people and tell everyone what happened to him.  Do you think he could do it?  Could you?”

 

            That was the final argument.  “No.”  She wouldn’t have had the strength to do it, and this was her home.  She had a family who loved her, and friends who would support her through anything.  Carlos had none of that, and there was zero chance that he would speak against her.  Probably he wouldn’t speak at all.  

 

            “I understand where you’re coming from, but anything to do with Mal and Carlos has to be handled even more delicately than an average student.  I don’t want to have any reason to have to contact their parents, for their own safety.”

 

            Evie roused herself to try again.  “Can’t we work something out, though?  Something that at least makes Mal feel like she’s getting to break the rules.” 

 

            “I’ll see what I can do.  There has to be something.”  He smiled at her.  “I have a little time off before the next round of meetings.  How would you like to have lunch together, just you and I?”

 

            It was the first time that he had offered that since the Island pair had arrived, and her heart sung.  No matter what, he still wanted to spend time with her.  He went out of his way to ask for her opinions and respected them when she gave them.  That was why he was her real father, no matter what their blood said.  He had loved her as much as he loved Ben, no matter how it felt sometimes. “I would love to.”

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know that this chapter is incredibly late, and I'm sorry for that. I wrote it, and rewrote it, and finally just chose a path and stuck with it   
> Hopefully this will give a bit more info on what's happening in Mal's mind at the moment. She's feeling very torn, but she has a task and is going to stick with it, whether she likes it or not.   
> "Marraine" was a name for Fairy Godmother that popped up on the Disney Wikipedia so I went with it.  
> I've been getting some requests for different POV's, so the next chapter will have some. And, bonus, none will be from people that we have heard from before.


	21. Chapter 21

 

 

 

 

Don’t underestimate me.  I know more than I say, think more than I speak, and notice more than you realize. 

 

            Jay was an absolute idiot.  It wasn’t that Chad didn’t like the guy, because he did.  They had been roommates for two years, after all, and played Tourney together since they were practically babies.  They were bros.

 

            But that didn’t mean that he thought Jay wasn’t a dumb-ass sometimes.   Case in point:  Carlos deVil.

 

            When the King decided he was going to bring Carlos and Mal over from the Isle, Chad’s father had lost it.  These were not innocent little children, the way they had been the first time around.  These were teenagers.  Teenagers who had grown up like wild animals, who had been taught nothing but violence and abuse, who had spent their entire lives eating garbage and fighting for everything they had.  Not only were they a danger to the other students at Auradon Prep, but to the adult citizens of Auradon as well. 

 

            Chad hadn’t dared talk back to his father at the dinner table, especially not when the man was so angry.  But he had been confused about the entire thing.

 

            He never really thought much about the Isle of the Lost, to be honest.  It was there, and they learned a little about it in school, but not that much.   But he knew enough to know that the people on the Isle were still Auradon citizens.  If that was true, then why wasn’t someone going there and stopping all of that bad stuff from happening?  If things were so violent there, why weren’t they sending guards to get things under control again? His father was making it sound like a prison that was having a constant riot.  How could the King expect any of his subjects to live like that?  Especially the kids. How could his own father want to kids Chad’s own age to have to live like that?

 

            Carlos and Mal hadn’t started out any different than Chad himself.  He knew that for a fact, because none of the other kids who came off the Island were different than he was.  He liked some better than others, but they were all just the kids he had grown up with.  Nothing special about them.  

 

            No one could say that Carlos and Mal weren’t different, though.  But everyone else wasn’t.  Soooo……the Island kids weren’t bad because of who they were and who their parents were.  They were bad because of what they had gone through.

 

            They weren’t really that bad, either.  From what his father was saying, he had expected them to be downright vicious, like mad dogs on a chain.  But they weren’t.  They were different, that was for sure, but Chad was starting to think that his father was a little overly hysterical.

 

            Mal was spiky and tough and had no problem letting you know when you had pissed her off.  She wasn’t violent, but she could absolutely spit acid when she was provoked.  And if you asked Mal, someone was always provoking her.

 

            Burt that wasn’t much different from some of the other girls.  Audrey absolutely hated Mal, but, as far as Chad could see, that was mainly because the two of them were exactly alike.  They were both bossy and liked being in charge.  Their mothers hated each other. They both had no problem speaking up when they felt wronged, and they both had their eye on the throne.

 

            Audrey thought she was going to get it through Ben, and she was probably right. 

They seemed to really like each other, even if they didn’t seem to actually be in love, and she had the impeccable lineage that would make her a respectable choice for a queen.  The girl had literally been raised her entire life for this moment.   They would be the beautiful royal couple that Auradon demanded. 

 

            There had been a time when Chad was jealous of Ben.  While the Charming family still had a quite a bit of power and political clout, it wasn’t much when you compared it to being king of the entire country.    But now?  Thank Goodness it wasn’t him!  He wanted to play Tourney, and party with his friends and pick his own wife because he loved her, not because of who her family was.  He was in the prime position right now.  He was rich enough that he could do anything he wanted with his life, he was good looking, and he was pretty smart.  His life might not be as glamorous as Ben’s would, but it was going to be a shit ton more fun.

 

            But there were two royal children.  Evie wasn’t the first choice for ruler, since she was both adopted and a girl, but he wouldn’t count her out.  Both the King and Queen of Auradon were only children, so there were no pesky cousins or other family members to vie for the throne.  If something were to happen to Ben…

 

            Not that he thought Evie would ever consider bumping her brother off just to be queen.   That was just silly.  But with no other options, it wasn’t inconceivable that Evie would end up with the throne one day, especially if Ben died without producing himself an heir. 

 

            Which brought him back to the other would-be Queen, Mal.  If Evie was going to be Queen, she was going to need someone to rule right along side her.  And since Evie liked girls, she needed a Queen instead of a King.

           

            What?  It wasn’t like he didn’t already know, even though no one else seemed to.  He had first suspected it when she refused to go out with him.  What other reason would she have to say no except for not liking boys at all.  He was a catch!

 

His mother had pointed out that it was probably because had picked on her when they were younger, but he didn’t think that that was it.  He had been a little bit of a shit when he was a little boy, but so had a lot of other people.  He had grown up and quit being an asshole a long time ago. 

 

            So he started watching Evie more and more, curious about her.  Ok, maybe it was more because his ego had taken a blow.  He wasn’t used to girls turning him down for any reason. 

 

            What he found out, though, was that it didn’t seem to be personal.  Evie turned down boy after boy after boy until none of them would ask her out any longer, since they already knew what she would say.

 

            At the time, he had thought that maybe Evie just wasn’t into boys yet.  They were 13, and some of the other girls were still more interested in dolls and stuff than boys.  But Evie was so mature in other ways that it didn’t seem to fit.  Before it had been about his bruised pride.  Now he was genuinely curious. 

 

            And he saw a lot.  He noticed that Evie never looked at the boys on the Tourney Field, even when it was hot out and they started stripping down for drills and other groups of girls were hanging around to peek and giggle.    But when the cheerleaders were out practicing their routines, she was right there, her eyes glued to them. 

 

            He wondered even then if that meant she was a lesbian.  But that didn’t seem right.  The lesbians he saw on TV and in movies were more like men.  They dressed in manly clothes  had short hair and didn’t wear make-up..  Evie wasn’t like that.  She was pretty and feminine.  Her hair was always done and all the other girls were jealous of how she did her make-up.

 

            Now he knew how stupid that was.  Lesbians were just girls who liked girls.  They could be manly or feminine or anything in between.  And he was more sure than ever that Evie was one. 

 

            Not that anyone else seemed to see it.  The boys just thought she was stuck up or busy with her diplomatic duties, or that her father was too strict to let her date.  But he was pretty sure that she was just trying to avoid the scandal that was sure to erupt.  The Kings daughter, the biological child of one of the most evil women in history, in a lesbian relationship!  It would echo around the Kingdom for years.  Most of the kids at school didn’t care, but they weren’t the ones who ran their states and townships.  The older generation just wasn’t as accepting of new things as the younger one was. 

 

            Especially since he knew exactly which girl Evie was crushing on, and it was the worst choice possible.  She and Mal were a lot more than roommates.  Evie was adored by the populace of Auradon, and her sexuality would be eventually overlooked and forgiven, even by the older generation.  But with Mal?  That would be a much tougher thing for them to accept.

 

            At first, he had thought that Mal was just using Evie, but the other girl seemed to really like the Princess.  Everyone else had met the ugly side of Mal’s mouth, including Chad himself (damn, that girl could be mean.), but never Evie.  When Mal looked at Evie, her eyes went soft and she even smiled a little bit.  Freaky.  What was it about those Island kids and their ability to bring out the gay in people?

 

            “Chad!  Are you just going to stand there and stare like a creeper? Practice is starting!”

 

            Speaking of the gay, there it was, shouting at him.  Jay was signaling him down, laughing at something.   As always, Carlos was plastered to his side, silent and watchful.

 

            Though he had heard that Carlos talked now.  He had heard it from Lonnie (under the bleachers, that’s right, he was the _man_ ) who heard it from Ally who heard it from Doug who heard it from Gaston, who overheard some of the security guards gossiping about it.

 

            But no one had actually heard Carlos do it.  Jay probably had, since Carlos absolutely worshiped the ground the bigger boy walked on, but the odds of the rest of them hearing him make a peep seemed pretty low. 

 

            Since they hadn’t started actual practice yet, Carlos was still on the field with the rest of them.   Chad had been a little worried at first that Carlos wouldn’t be able to keep up or that he would be picked on, but none of that had happened.  The boy was fast and light on his feet, not only keeping up by surpassing some of the other boys on the team.  He actually looked happy when he was out there, like the exercise calmed his twitchiness.  And he was one twitchy kid.

 

            His earlier threat to bench anyone who picked on Carlos was a good start, but Coach had pre-empted any sneakiness by making sure they all saw the way he could aim the cannons.  Once it became clear that he could nail a practice dummy anywhere on the body he pleased, no matter what the distance, several boys rethought the idea of messing with him.  Chad had asked Jay later how the kid did it, but Jay had only shrugged.  “Not sure.  He tried to explain it to me, but it’s all about angles and force and it’s not the easiest thing to understand anyway.  Especially when he can’t talk.”

 

            Chad supposed that he could ask for the explanation now, since it turned out ‘can’t talk’ meant ‘won’t talk’, but he wasn’t sure he wanted to know.  It was a little cooler to think that kid was just kind of magic.  Actually it was a lot cooler.

 

            “Coming!”  He bounded down the bleachers, landing directly in front of them.  Carlos stepped back and slightly behind Jay, but he didn’t jump the way he had in the past.  He held his ground, watching quietly.  “Morning, Spot.  Morning, Klepto.”

 

            Jay’s eye twitched, which made Chad laugh.  The other boy hated being called ‘Klepto’, since he hadn’t stolen anything since he was 10 years old, but he hated hearing Carlos called ‘Spot’ even more.  It was kind of funny, since, as far as Chad could tell, Carlos didn’t care at all.  He looked at Chad no matter what he was called, waiting patiently to hear what was wanted of him.    He had no more or less reaction than he did to his actual name.      

 

            Speaking of little Spot, he raised one hand in greeting.  He was a lot more interactive with people than he had been when he first got there.  Before he would have just looked away and ignored the greeting.    The smaller boy flickered his fingers at Jay, spelling something.  

 

            Even though he didn’t like talking with his mouth, Carlos was pretty good at talking with his hands.  Jay understood most of what he was saying, but the rest of them were pretty confused.  Coach had encouraged all of them to at least learn how understand the letters, in case Jay wasn’t around to translate, so Chad was able to pick up on the letter ‘K’

 

            That combined with Jay shaking his head allowed Chad to fill in the rest.  “You want to know how he got the name Klepto?”

 

            Carlos nodded and Jay scowled harder.  “Your darling roommate used to steal stuff.  A lot of stuff.”

 

            “When I was 10!”  Jay was now shooting him death glares.  Chad smirked back.  What?  Didn’t want to look bad in front of his little boyfriend?                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                      

 

            For once, though, he had Carlos’ full attention.  One eyebrow raised, clearly asking for more.  “Yes, it was when he was 10.  But he just took everything.  Markers, toys, clothes, food.  His Mom had to sew all of his pockets closed because of it.  He outgrew it, but it was pretty ridiculous for a while.”

 

            Spot grinned at the thought, and it was the first time Chad had seen him actually smile at someone who wasn’t Jay.  It was a cute little crooked smile, and Chad could have sworn he heard a collective sigh from the cheerleaders who were standing around watching.  They all thought that Carlos was a darling little wounded dove, in need of their special love and tender care.  The fact that he had never so much as looked their way didn’t appear to matter.  Chicks loved broken things that they could try and fix. 

 

            But that position was already filled.  Chad wasn’t too sure that Carlos was totally fixable, but Jay was bound and determined to try.  And he was pretty cool.  Sure, he was twitchy as fuck and he didn’t talk and all that, but he was smart and had some neat talents, like being able to survive on his own.

 

            Plus he made Jay happy, and that was what really counted.  Chad had seen Jay with plenty of girls.  He was one of the better Tourney players, and he wasn’t bad to look at (and Chad didn’t mean that in a gay way or anything.  Just an observation.).  So, all in all, he was pretty popular. 

 

            Since they were roommates, Chad knew everything that went on.  So he knew for a fact that Jay hadn’t gone very far with any of them.  He had felt a few boobs, and made one hopeful bid with Lonnie for a handjob, but that was it.  Chad knew for a fact that Jay was still a virgin.

 

            Which was fine, Chad was one, too.  He didn’t plan on waiting for his one true love or any bullshit like that, but he didn’t want to be that gross guy who pushed girls into something they didn’t want to do either.    When the time was right, it was right.

 

            But Chad had never once seen Jay look at a girl the way he looked at Carlos.  The kid almost never left his side, which would have driven Chad nuts. But Jay seemed to like it.  When it was time for Carlos to leave practice, he always picked the same spot on the bleachers, where it was easy for him to watch Jay.  The obsession between them went both ways. 

 

            It wasn’t so much the amount of staring that Jay did, but the way he did it.  He looked at Carlos the same way Chad’s parents looked at each other.  There was a tenderness there under-laid with steel.  While he wasn’t much of a fighter in general, Chad did not want to be the person who crossed Jay by picking on Carlos.  Jay had promised that nothing would happen to Spot, and he was going to keep that promise at all costs.

 

            “Thank you, Chad.”  Jay’s voice was strained with irritation, and Spot started to look worried.  He didn’t like it when people fought, even when it wasn’t serious.  “Your input is noted and appreciated.”

 

            Time to back off.  “You're welcome.  Spot, are you going to have pizza with us after practice?  We’re ordering extra this time.”  At the last pizza party, Carlos had impressed the team by managing to eat 7 slices of pizza, more than the players who were twice his size.

 

            Carlos nodded and his lips moved slightly.  He didn’t quite speak, but Chad could tell that he had considered it.    Maybe they would get to hear his voice one day after all.

 

            The whistle blew, telling everyone to get into place.  Jay wrapped an arm around Carlos, pulling him close and off balance.  If anyone else had tried that, they would have probably drawn back a nub where their hand used to be.  But Carlos leaned in, smiling a little bit.   It was nauseatingly cute.  “Ready for sprints?”

 

            “Uh-huh.” It wasn’t exactly a word.  It was more like a grunt crossed with a hum.  It was more than Chad had ever heard from him before, though.  So the rumors about him were true.  He could make noises and probably talk just fine. 

 

            They lined up, with Carlos taking his usual place between Jay and Chad.  It made Chad feel a little strange, to think that Carlos actually seemed to have some level of trust in him.   It made him feel special, and protective over the kid. 

 

            When he crouched down and peeked over, Carlos was watching him as well.  His eyes were hooded and unreadable, but he didn’t look away.   Instead, he nodded a bit, as if he knew everything that Chad was thinking.

 

            And Chad couldn’t help but smile back.

 

65656565

 

            “Well, well, look who’s here.” Adam’s voice was hushed, and he gestured with a jerk of his head instead of pointing.  “You wanted to get a good look at him.”

 

            Belle had been curious about Carlos.   Mal was becoming quite the staple around the castle, since she came every time Evie did.  While the girls spent a lot of time roaming around outside or locked in Evie’s room (and don’t think she wasn’t a little worried about that.  She had been a teenager in love once, too, and she recognized the starry look in Evie’s eyes.), she and Adam really only saw them at meal times.  That was teenagers for you, though.  Your parents might be the King and Queen of Auradon, but that didn’t mean they weren’t hopelessly uncool.

 

            After that first dinner, in which Mal had made it very clear that she would not back down or be intimidated, no matter who she was facing, the girl had taken notes and her behavior was much improved in subsequent visits.  She no longer had to look to Evie to determine which fork to use, or whether it was alright to begin eating or she should wait for speeches or prayers.  Her table manners were impeccable, much better then some of their guests who had been raised for this.

 

            It was also clear that she had been diligent in doing her homework and studying up on polite topics of conversation.  She asked thoughtful and intelligent questions about their guests homes, talking about what a person might want to see and do while visiting, or asking about a main export in goods.  If Mal could continue to work on keeping her temper, there would almost certainly be a place for her as another diplomat.  She was smart, able to think on her feet, and stunningly beautiful.  All of those things would help her as long as she used them properly.

 

            And Mal was an interesting girl herself.  She had a way of looking at a situation and offering a very common sense solution that almost always ended up working as well as anyone else’s suggestions.  Maybe it didn’t look quite as pretty, but it was functional.   She was a girl who was learning very quickly to mix the practicality she had learned on the Island with the finesse and elegance of Auradon.

 

            In a lot of ways, Mal presented as a girl who was adapting to life in Auradon with ease.  She was physically healthy, smart, and excelling in her classes, getting all A’s and B’s.  She even appeared to be coming along socially.  She smiled appropriately and did everything she was supposed to.  She certainly gave no indication that she missed her old life, or that she was anything other than happy to be here in Auradon.

 

            But sometimes she saw something else there. When Belle leaned over to give Evie a kiss, or fixed her hair, or just told her how loved she was, Mal’s eyes flared with jealousy.  She was 16 years old, and she was separated from her mother, maybe permenantly.  It was only by a few miles, but it might as well have been a few thousand.  It had to be difficult for her. 

 

Belle wondered if the separation was difficult for Maleficent as well.   It was hard to imagine the woman as being anything other than the definition of evil.  Out of all of the villains sent to the Island, Maleficent was the one who never flinched.  She never pleaded for mercy, never shed a tear.  There were no apologies forthcoming.  Instead she had boarded the ship with a flourish, her back straight and her shoulders set. 

 

As each villain boarded, they had to pass the King, who read their judgment for the last time.  Maleficent smiled at him, reaching out to place a hand on his shoulder.  “You know that I’ll be back one day.  You can’t keep a good woman down, no matter what you think.  And do not ever make the mistake of thinking I’ll forget your face, your family, or your country.  When Auradon is burning, you’ll find me in the center of the flames.”

 

At the time, it had seemed nothing more than the empty threat of a woman who would spend the rest of her life locked away, separated from Auradon by an unbreakable barrier.  Soon she would be nothing but a memory, a scary tale that their children and children’s children told at the campfire.

 

But that wasn’t true, was it?  The barrier wasn’t unbreakable after all, as the boy in front of her had proven.  No one had been able to get him to admit to breaking it, much less how the task had been accomplished, but it was possible.  The hole created had been no larger than her fist, but that was plenty large enough to send an object, if not a person, through.  And once that hole was there, the magic that had been denied to the residents of the Isle could flow freely through.  If the right person had known and been waiting….

 

Belle gave her head a quick shake.  That hadn’t happened, and the hole had quickly been resealed.  But not knowing the motives behind the hole was a matter of concern.

 

And Maleficent hadn’t really disappeared, now had she?  She might be still physically stuck on the Isle, but she had managed to send the second best thing to Auradon.   In many ways, Mal was just like her mother.  She was clever, and opinionated, and did not take to perceived slights lightly.  She had a strong (if more than slightly skewed) sense of fairness, and a need to make sure that she always came out on top. 

 

While she wasn’t accusing Mal of any inappropriate behavior, the temptation to please and help her mother had to be overwhelming.  Of course it was.   Evil or not, Maleficent had certainly spent quite a bit of time on her daughter.  Mal had arrived in Auradon clean, with good table manners and the earmarks of Maleficent at least trying to give her an education.  She had art supplies and even a doll to remind her of home.  Queen Belle wasn’t denying that the girls life had probably been very hard, but she had been loved, at least to some degree.  It was natural for a child to love their parent, no matter what the circumstances.  She wouldn’t blame the girl for wanting to give her mother the same freedom and opportunities that she had been given.

 

Evie had asked the other day if it would be possible for Mal and Carlos to talk to their parents.  She thought that it might help Mal feel less homesick.  Evie wanted her to keep her connection to her mother, even if they couldn’t be close physically.

 

It was a lovely thought.  It was also a rather naive one.  Keeping the connection to her family and past might well provide some comfort to the girl.  It might also cause her further stress and trauma she wanted Mal to be able to continue her forward progress, not get bogged down again in her past.  


That sounded beautiful.  It was noble and focused on Mal and what was best for her.  And she was.  Mal needed the adults around her to put her first and made the decisions that were best for her, whether she liked it or not. 

           

But it wasn’t the full truth.  The truth was that she was afraid.  If they got the connection running (and there was zero reason that they would not be able to.  Even the kids at school could probably get it working), and Mal was able to speak to her mother, and Carlos to his, what was preventing Evie from wanting to speak to hers?  What was she supposed to say when the daughter she had raised almost since her birth decided she preferred a woman who she didn’t even remember?

 

It was a selfish worry, but one she couldn’t help but have.  She loved Evie with a fierceness that made her feel almost ill with it sometimes.  She had never known her own mother, and had been determined to be the sort of mother to the twins that she had read about in her books.  She nursed them and rocked them and stayed up all night when they were sick. She was the one who helped with school projects and dealt with broken hearts and remembered the names to a million little toy horses and action figures for play.  Evie was hers, not Grimhildes. 

 

She knew that it was unfair.  There was every chance the Grimhilde would have done all of those things too, if she had been given the chance to raise her own daughter instead of having the baby snatched from her arms.   There was also a chance that Evie would have ended up battered and bruised, or raped by some dirty old man while she was still a little girl.  The Island was dangerous, no matter how well intentioned Grimhilde might have been.

 

Belle forced those thoughts down and took an additional step towards Carlos.  She had to speak to him, and see the other side of what the Island created.  Mal was obviously different than the children raised in Auradon, but she was fitting in at least a little. Carlos was a walking disaster who spent the first few months refusing to do something as basic as speak.  He was the one who showed up covered in bruises, burns and scars.  Which one of them would Evie had ended up being more like?

 

Carlos didn’t react to them, and he certainly didn’t speak, but he was quite aware of their presence.  His head turned slightly in their direction, so he could hear their approach, and his eyes flicked over once, before settling back on the Tourney Field.  He didn’t move either closer or away.  He just sat, waiting for them to either approach him or not.   Hopefully not.

 

But she couldn’t help but move forward.  “Hello, Carlos, it’s nice to finally be able to meet you.  I’m Belle.”  She hated to use her title with the kids.  It made her feel pompous and egotistical.  She was a Queen, yes, but she was a mother first.  If she was one day asked to make the choice between her children or her kingdom, there was no doubt as to what she would choose. 

 

There was no verbal response to her greeting, but she hadn’t expected one, either.   She was a stranger and he was barely verbal with the people he knew.  “May Adam and I sit down with you?”

 

            He shrugged, then nodded.     _Sure, whatever.  You're going to do whatever you want anyway, so I'm not going to argue_. 

 

-           Unless he thought that his life was actually in danger, like in the limo or when Dude got onto the Tourney field, Carlos was a pretty passive kid.  He had already learned (and quite painfully, if those scars were any indication) that fighting back did nothing, so why risk it?

 

            Belle's heart twisted.  She wanted to see this boy feel safe enough to mouth off, and fight back and tell an adult 'no'.  But it seemed that those behaviors were a ways off.  She forced a light tone.  “How come you're up here and not out practicing with the rest of your team?”

 

            For a moment, she thought he wasn't going to respond at all, but he finally raised his hands and made some gestures.  It was a definite effort on his part, but not one that she understood.    But she hadn't survived her time as a prisoner in the Beast's castle by refusing to take some initiative and figure things out on her own.  A quick look revealed that, while he was dressed for exercise, he was not in an actual Tourney uniform.  Hadn't Ben said something about that?    “Are you actually on the team or just running drills with them?

 

            The corners of his lips quirked up and he first shook his head, then nodded.  _No, I am not on the team, yes, I do run drills with them.  You are correct._   His eyes spoke as clearly as his voice could have.  She also saw a dawning interest and grudging respect reflected in them.  He liked that she was making the effort to interact with them.

 

            Adam sat down close enough to speak to Carlos, but not close enough to actually touch him.  That seemed to be a cue, so she sat a bleacher down, trying to not make the ////////boy feel hemmed in.  His face was calm and expressionless, but she could see the slight tremor to his hands, and the tension in his bare legs. She wondered how much of that tension was normal for him, and what was caused by her and Adam's arrival.  “So, is the plan still for everyone to come over for dinner on Friday,correct?  It's been a while since we've had a group of teenagers at the place.  It's starting to feel a little like a stodgy old retirement home with just us and foreign embassies rolling around in it.  Even Ben is gone quite a bit.”

 

            She hoped that by emphasizing that there would be no strange adults (except for her, and to a degree, her husband), and a group of teenagers, so he wouldn't feel singled out and stared at.  She got a strong sense that Carlos wanted nothing more than to blend in and not be acknowledged unless it was strictly necessary. 

 

            Adam was trying to engage Carlos in some small talk, and she took advantage of the boys distraction to study him closer.  Who was he?  No one knew.  Every person saw a different side to him, sometimes with those sides being in direct opposition to each other.  Belle wasn't sure if Carlos deliberately shifted his behavior from person to person, or if it was such a strongly ingrained habit that he didn't even realize he did it any longer.

 

            Belle had always prided herself on being a good listener, a traits he had tried to pass on to her daughter.  If you listened to multiple accounts of the same thing, it because quite easy to pick out the facts of what had happened.  Once you knew what was true, it gave you a base to work from while deciphering each persons opinions and biases.

 

            But what were the facts about Carlos?  It was hard to know, because everything they knew about the first sixteen years of his life came from a single person, in a short letter.  Not exactly the most reliable and fair way to get information.  But it was all they had.

 

            So what were the facts?  Carlos didn't talk, and had never spoken, even when he was small.  Cruella was his mother, there was no mention of his father.   He was smart and good with building things.    


            That was it.  Even the woman who had raised him for the majority of his life had to admit that she really didn't know that much about him.  Where he went, who he spent time with (if anyone), the things he got up to when no adults were supervising him.  Nothing. 

 

            Ironically, Mal had proven herself quite helpful in filling some of the blanks in.  She knew that he had claimed a building near the docks, and that he had found a niche in making things for the people on the Island.  When asked how he protected himself from the various miscreants roaming the place, Mal had shrugged and said that she didn't know, but she would be very curious to find out.

 

            By combining what both Grimhilde and Mal had said, Belle was able to build a pretty bleak picture of Carlos and his early life.  It seemed that he was out of the house first thing in the morning and returned late at night.  Mal said that his clients bartered food for his services, which made her think he wasn't getting fed at home.

 

             If she understood correctly, the child before her had been responsible for his own care for the majority of his life.  The stress of staying alive had to have been enormous on him.

 

            And it had happened in her own Kingdom.  She and Adam has as much of a duty to Carlos and Mal as they did to their own children.  But she had shirked that duty, not only to them, but to the other children on the Isle.  The ones who might have been missed in the raid.  The ones who had been born since, and were kept under strict lock and key.  Those considered too old to be taken in the raid.  All those children, lost forever because they had been born a few miles too far from the castle. 

 

            While Carlos and Mal were quite resourceful and determined, it was because they had had to be.   Here in Auradon, it was a trait to be admired and praised.  On the Island, it was a matter of survival.

 

            Which, she reflected, was probably the biggest difference between Carlos and Mal, at least based on what she had heard.  They had both arrived in Auradon operating on pure animal instinct.  They moved quickly to ensure that there was food, and shelter ,and the other basics, because they had learned quickly that those things were not guaranteed.

 

            .  Mal, however, had realized pretty quickly that she was going to be provided for here, and she was ok to drop her guard a little, even if she was unable to fully relax.  She was taking some pretty big steps towards assimilating into Auradon life.  Her past would always be there, but she was at least starting to overcome it.

 

            Carlos, on the other hand, was stuck in survival mode. While he was starting to relinquish a small amount of control, it was only under the most ideal circumstances.  If you were one of the people he liked, and he was completely calm, and there wasn't too much else going on, you were in good shape.  Right now, he was continually flicking his eyes over to Jay, hoping that the taller boy would come to his rescue.  Hoping, yes, but Belle could already see the disappointment in his eyes.  No one else had ever come through for him, why would Jay suddenly notice his distress?  


            And that was just with her and Adam trying to talk to him.  They weren't crowding, they weren't making demands of him, they weren't doing anything but trying give him a rather sedate welcome. 

 

            But he was still holding it together.  He was holding his ground and looking over to Jay for help and direction.  While he was stressed, he wasn't panicked yet.  But Belle knew that if she moved closer, pinning Carlos between her and her husband, or if she moved too quickly or harshly, he would lose it.  His trust in Jay was too fragile to withstand much pressure.  He had run once, and it was entirely possible that he could do it again.  

 

            And the next time could be worse.  The last time he had decided to take off, he had gone to downtown Auradon, hiding himself so securely that they still didn't know where he had been. But she didn't think he would do that again.  They would know where to look for him, and he wanted to remain hidden. 

 

            If the city was no longer an option for him, what prevented Carlos from trying to get back to the Island?  He had taken the barrier down once before, and it would be much easier for him on this side of it. 

 

            “Hi, Mom!”  Ben waved, and a chorus of overly feminine 'Hi Mom's' echoed around the field as the rest of the team echoed and teased him.  Ben took it good naturedly, just like he always did. 

 

            It pleased her to see and hear that.  She remembered being a lonely child herself, and she wanted her children to have real friends, not just sycophants.  While she knew that things would change greatly over the next few months and years, when Ben became their King instead of just their classmate and friend (and she and Adam had had many fights over that.  Ben was a mature and wonderful boy, but he was just that, a boy.  She worried about what the weight of such power and stress would do to him at such a young age.). 

 

            But Ben's call had another effect, which was to finally get Jay's attention.  The bigger boy ambled over, climbing up and wrapping an arm around Carlos.  “Hi, Belle, hi Adam.”  He gave  Carlos a poke.  “Tell them hi.”

 

            “Hi.”  It a quick, breathy noise, but it was clearly understandable. 

 

            So she had underestimated the boy.  Or maybe she had just underestimated Jay's hold over him.  Belle smiled warmly at him, causing him to duck his head and press further back into Jay.  He was embarrassed by the attention, so she backed off.  “I was just telling Carlos how delighted I was about you guys coming for dinner tomorrow.  I've already set the main dishes, but is there anything we can get for sides?  I've already asked Mal and Evie for their input.”

 

            “Well, I want garlic bread.  I don't care what we're having it with, but I love your garlic bread.  You'll love it, too, Carlos.  And he wants fruit.  Any type, he's not picky.”

 

            Neither was Mal.  It hurt her heart to think that they were so excited over fruit because it was still novel to them.  Whereas any of the kids raised here in Auradon would let things go bad, Carlos and Mal were still fascinated by the idea of fruit that wasn't rotten, moldy, or too soft. 

 

            And she was the one who had made it that way. While it had been Adam who put down the decree that both created the Isle of the Lost and made it into a permanent prison, it had been done with her full support, as well as that of Auradon has a whole.  It was easy for her husband to take the blame now, but they all had their part in what had happened.

 

            “I'll put in a request for garlic bread, and we have many types of fruit available, both for eating with the meal, and for dipping in the chocolate fountain.”

 

            That comment earned her husband a tiny smile and some brief eye contact.  He was cute when he did that, like a kid rather than a very weary adult.   It gave her a brief flash of hope, that he might find some contentment or even joy here.

 

            She didn't have to make their lives perfect.  The time for that had come and gone 16 years ago.  But she could make their lives better than they had been on the Island.  If she could provide that, it would give them a starting point and support.  The rest of the healing was going to be up to them.   She just hoped they were up to the task.

 

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            Where was that boy!  He should have been home by now.  He should have been home hours (days?  Weeks?  Surely it hadn't been months) ago.  There were floors to scrub, and furs to fluff, and her hair was an absolute disaster.   What was she supposed to do without her dearest boy to help her?

 

            Cruella looked over the halls of Hell House, thinking that maybe it had been longer than a few days.  The boy would never leave dishes in the sink or the floors dirty.  He knew the consequences for such actions.

 

            So he had been gone for a while.  Wait, she knew that, didn't she? She knew that the boy had disappeared.  But when? And how?

 

            “Where is he, Pongo?” She stroked the dogs head gently  “Where is our baby?”

 

            Pongo curled more tightly around her neck.  _His name is Carlos._

 

She knew that!  Of course she knew that.  He was her baby after all.  She had named him Carlos because she wanted him to be strong, like the rest of the deVil family.  They were renowned for their intelligence as much as their fashion sense and unusual hair.  “I know what I named my own child.”

 

            _Do you? Because it's taken you quite a while to realize he was missing. Of course, this isn't the first time you've noticed, either._

 

That was untrue.  She would remember if she had noticed her own child missing.  He couldn't have been gone for very long.   He was probably just at his warehouse, doing whatever it was he did with all those spare parts he kept around.  He would be back. 

 

            And when that happened, she was going to make sure that he didn't wander off again.  He had run afoul of her traps before, but it was mostly grazes and a few flesh wounds.  Only once had he gotten his leg seriously ripped up, when she had shoved him backwards into the room full of traps.

           

             Grimhilde had been furious about it, scooping the child up and treating the injury.   It hadn't been like he was in danger of death, or even losing that leg.  Sure, there had been an impressive amount of blood, but the kid had regained consciousness within the hour, and had even managed to take care of the chores she had set for him.  He hadn't really been able to walk, but he was able to crawl and drag the leg behind him.   Really, Grimhilde babied the boy.

 

            Well the trap could be used again, this time to keep him where he belonged.  He was going to be safe here with Mommy, and she didn't care what Grimhilde had to say about it.  That woman wasn't his mother.  Her baby was gone, but Cruella still had hers.  


            _Carlos. You have to remember that his name is Carlos._

 

She gave Pongo a sharp poke, right where his glass eyes had once been.  “I told you that I know his name.”  Even if she hadn't actually remembered.

 

            _Sure.   Of course you do._

 

With a snarl, Cruella unknotted the dog from around her neck and flung him across the room. Sometimes he was helpful, but he had a nasty side as well.  A few days spent shut in at the bottom of her closet would sort him out.  It always did with the boy.  Oh, sorry.  It always did with _Carlos_.  See.  She knew his name.  She was a good mother.  She knew his name and she wanted to keep him safe with her.

 

            “Cruella!  Where are you, Dearest?”

 

            Speaking of Grimhilde, there she was.  Cruella wasn't sure why she came by, now that the boy was gone, but the visits continued.  Maybe Grimhilde was hoping that he would come back as well.  She was very attached to the him, despite the fact that he hid from her just as often as he did from everyone else. 

 

            “In the kitchen, Darling!”  She took a minute to fluff her hair and straighten her clothing.  It would never do to be seen as anything less than put together.  “Can I get you some tea?”

 

            Grimhilde looked around.  “Is there any tea?  Is there any food period?”

 

            “Details, details.  There's probably some food around here somewhere.”  At least she thought there was.  When was the last time she had eaten something?

 

            “I'll make the tea.”  The other woman stalked over to the sink, turning on the water and waiting for it to quit running brown.  Good luck, that had been getting worse and worse lately. 

             

            Maybe Grimhilde knew something.  “So, Darling, we appear to be missing someone.  You wouldn't happen to know where...where....” _Come on, think!_ “Where Carlos is.  You know, my son.”

 

            Grimhilde turned to her in surprise. “This is the first time you've asked about him.  But, no, I don't know where he is.”

 

            Liar.  Most of the time, Cruella recognized that she was faltering mentally.  She lost time, sometimes as much as days or weeks.  To this day, she couldn't recall any of the details that had lead to her getting or being pregnant with the boy.  She had just woken up one day with a terrible pain in her lower body and a softly whining newborn next to her on the bed. 

 

            Her first thought had been to get rid of it.   Throw it in the ocean or leave it in an ally.  Fuck, she could even pick up a corner of the bedspread and suffocate it.  As small as it was, it wouldn't take much.  She had zero desire or ability to raise this child, no matter how he had come about.

 

            But she stayed her hand.  The baby (and it was a boy, she could see that now.), was very quiet, other then those tiny whines.  Despite being so young, he had a full head of dark hair that was already showing white at the tips.  His skin was pale, but that could change over the next few weeks.

 

            He looked like her.  Not like the man he shared half of his DNA with, her.  He belonged to her.  This was her child, and she could do whatever she wanted with him.  It was better than a  puppy.  Not as pretty (though he could still grow some spots.  And if he wouldn't grow them himself, she would figure out a way to put them on him.  She had cigarette that would leave some very nice marks.), but infinitely more useful. 

 

            And if he proved to be too much work, there was no reason she couldn't still get rid of him.  Children, especially those that nobody knew existed, were easy to dispose of.   She wold give it some time, and see what happened.

 

            There were times when she suspected that the child, even when he was still a baby, knew that she was plotting against him.   He learned very quickly to not cry or fuss, and to make as little work as possible for her.   If she smacked him to the ground or forgot to feed him for a day or two, he accepted that as his lot in life, nothing to complain about. 

 

            Though she supposed the woman in front of her had as much to do with the boys continued survival as anything else. It had been a few months past the Raid when Grimhilde came by an found him sitting on one of the stools in the kitchen.  Sitting up was a new thing for him, and he was waiting patiently to see if there would be anything left of him to eat once she was finished.  “Cruella!  Dearest, it's been ages since anyone has seen you and we were wondering if you were a rotting corpse on top of a pile of-” The other woman had frozen at the sight of a child where one had no right to exist.  “And who is this?”  Her voice softened tenderly and she couldn't help but reach out for the boy.

 

            He flinched, just like he did every time you tried to touch him.  Cruella had no clue how she had managed to a child that could take a hit that bowled him over without blinking, but who wouldn't have anything to do with someone being nice.  Proof that there was something wrong with him.

 

            She had to think hard, but his name finally came to her.  “Carlos.  His name is Carlos.”

 

            “Well, he's definitely your child.  Look at that hair!”  Grimhilde scooped the child up, giddy at the thought of being able to hold a baby again.  “Hello, Carlos.”

 

            She turned back to Cruella.  “How did you manage to keep him?  They took all the others but left your child?”  Her voice was dripping with jealousy.

 

            That as another thing that she had trouble remembering, so she just shrugged.  “I guess they didn't want him either.”

 

            “I would have him.”  Grimhilde pressed her fingers to his face, no doubt noticing the bruise under one eye.  He might have fallen forward off of his chair, or she might have hit him, there was no way to be sure. “He's very warm, Cruella. Is he thirsty?”

 

            “Probably.  There's a cup around here somewhere.”

 

            She had nursed the boy when he was an infant.  Of course she had, the only other option was him starving to death.  But she was repulsed by having him so close to and attached to her body.   The feeling seemed to be mutual as well.  He never cuddled into her or reached for her body.  He just took her breast and drank with no eye contact.  It hadn't taken a full month before she had started training him to drink milk from a cup.  It took more steps than just letting him nurse, but Cruella had never shied from hard work.  It was better for both her and the boy if they touched each other as little as possible.  Before he was six weeks old, he was completely weaned.  If it worked for puppies, it would work for her kid.

 

            Motherhood certainly wasn't what she had imagined it would be.  Of course, those imaginings had happened when she was still a foolish little girl living in what would become part of Auradon.  She and Anita had giggled and gossiped and named the babies they were sure they would have together.  Well, she had done her part.  She had produced a baby, and given him the name she had chosen (she had waited a few weeks to call him anything, just making sure that he was actually going to live.  She had thought that babies were supposed to be plump and cuddly and pleasant.  This one was scrawny and hated  being touched).  What a lie this had been. 

 

            There were times, when the buzzing in her head died down enough that she could actually think, that she reconsidered keeping him.  She knew that she wasn't taking good care of him, not the way she had fantasized about as a girl.  Not that anyone else here was going to do better.  But she did have other options. There were several phones that still worked on the Island.  If she could get to one, and explain that her child had been left behind, they would probably come take him, just like they had all the others.  She could probably even tell them that she wanted Anita to take him, if the other woman could be convinced to deal with the little runt.  She just never seemed to get around to making the call in her clear moments.

           

            Plus, she was already suspecting that the child wasn't normal.  He didn't smile or coo like she had thought he would.   He just stared at her in silence.  Little shit was probably judging her, just like everyone else.   Even now, as Grimhilde clutched him desperately to her body, his eyes never left her. 

 

            “Cruella, he's too young to drink from a cup.  He's just a few months old, he needs a bottle.”

 

            “Oh, of course, Darling!  Let me just run to the shop and buy one with all the money I brought here with me.   I'm sure that won't do anything to alert people to the fact that there's a child being hidden here.  I fully intend to keep _my_ child.  And he is not too young.   He's clever, just like his mother.”  To prove her point, she walked over to the sink and filled a cup with water.  The cup wasn't particularly clean, but she didn't worry about that.  It would help make him strong. 

 

            Carlos rested his fingers on the cup, helping to support it as he drank.  He was drinking a lot, so she must have been forgetting him for a while.  “See, he's not too young.”

 

            Grimhilde gave a quick snort.   “I'll concede that you've trained him well” She lifted the baby up so they were face to face.  Cruella was curious if the boy would respond differently to a stranger than he did to her, but he didn't.  There was the same blank stare with no smile or attempts at interaction.  So it wasn't just her.  Interesting.  “It must be difficult to care for such a small child all on your own.”

 

            Please.  Cruella might be crazy (or 'unspecified antisocial disorder with sadistic features and megalomania if you believe those Auradon quack doctors), but she wasn't a moron.  Grimhilde gave zero fucks about making things easier for her.  She wanted Carlos.  They had taken her own baby, so she wanted to turn the tables by taking Cruella's. 

 

            On the other hand, it would be nice to have someone else change some diapers and listen to that kid whine.  He didn't even cry like a normal baby, just whined like he was in pain or something.  And he even did that less and less as time went on. It wouldn't do to appear too eager, though. She had to make Grimhilde work for it.  “Oh, he's no trouble.  Sometimes it's easy to forget he's even there.”

 

            The trap was set and Grimhilde tumbled right into it.  “Obviously you forget he's there sometimes.  But it would take some of the burden off of you if I were to help out with him.”

 

            “Oh, I wouldn't want to burden you with a baby that isn't even yours.  But if you wanted to help out, I would be very grateful for it.”  Finally, a break from that kid!

 

            “Of course.   The two of us could work together to make him as evil as we both know he can be.” 

 

            “Done.  You and I will raise the kid together.”

 

            Cruella had figured that Grimhilde would come around a few times and get sick of  the kid.  He didn't really do anything.  But the other woman came every day when he was a baby, and almost every day as he grew.  She fed him, changed him and did her best to teach him.  

 

            Though he hadn't needed much teaching.  The runt was brilliant, just like his mother.  He learned his letters, his numbers, and how to put together electronic things without any real assistance.   Things like speech, eye contact, and the basics of social interaction escaped him, despite their best efforts.  Cruella eventually gave up, but Grimhilde never stopped trying. 

 

            Which was why Cruella knew that she was lying now.  The Island was full of murderers, rapists, pirates, and thieves and the boy, though now a teenager, was still pretty small.  The only reason that Grimhilde wouldn't be worried about the boys safety was that she already knew that he was fine.  Which meant she had hidden him somewhere.

 

            How dare she!  Carlos wasn't Grimhilde's baby.  They had taken her baby.  It was thrown into the ocean, or used in some ritual, or sold to the highest bidder.   Cruella had kept her baby, and she hadn't raised that ungrateful whelp almost to adulthood to have someone steal him now. 

 

            But she knew better than to just straight out accuse. Grimhilde might be the only person who could lead her back to her son, and it wouldn't do to drive her away.  She could bide her time and wait.  “Don't you think that we should remedy that?  What if he's been injured?  Or is being held captive?  Or the pirates took him?”

 

            “Don't you think I've tried?  His warehouse is totally abandoned.  People didn't get the merchandise they were promised, and no one has seen him.   It's like he just disappeared.”

 

            Briefly, Cruella considered that that might be the case.  The boy was old and intelligent enough to know that there was no future for him here on the Isle.  Best case scenario was he survived to adulthood, fucked some idiot girl who didn't care about his shortcomings and they raised another generation in increasingly cramped and squalid conditions.  There weren't enough resources to go around now, and every child born stretched things further.   It was a sobering thought, and the boy wouldn't be the first to go down to the edge of the water and just start walking. 

 

            She didn't think so, though.  The boy had been born into this shithole, and was used to fighting for everything he had. He had no idea what it had been like before, when they were still a part of the real world.  Like the rest of the second generation, he had no idea who bad off he really was.  The ones who went to the water were always the adults who remembered something better.

 

            “Well, someone must be hiding him, then.   If he's not at his warehouse, and he's not here, and no one has seen him, then he must have found someone foolish enough to take him in.  I wouldn't find him at your place, would I?”  She didn't expect Grimhilde would be so foolish, but she had been surprised before.

 

            “Of course not.  But if you would like to come have a look, you are more than welcome.”  Grimhilde sounded perfectly serene, but Cruella picked up on the tension in her body.   She  knew more than she was telling.

 

            Cruella took a sip of the tea that had just been put in front of her.  “You know, I feel quite a bit of pity for the person who thinks they can hide him.  Because I will find him,. And what I do to the person who thinks they can take my child away from me will not be pretty.  He is my child, and he belongs here with me.”

 

            Now, where was she going to start with when it came to finding that ungrateful brat?

 

           

           

56565656

            “Foolish girl.”  Maleficent stalked from one end of the room to the other.  “I could have had 10 wands by now.  What in the name of Evil is she up to?”

 

            “Foolish girl.” Diablo perched on her shoulder, staring seriously.  His voice was low and mournful, not the idiot repetitions of a parrot.  As her familiar, his intelligence was heightened as to allow him to better do her bidding.  If she had wanted a bumbling idiot taking care of things, she would have called on Jafar.  The man hadn't come around much since Mal had left, but it wouldn't be hard to get him to return.  After all, who would dare deny the future ruler of Auradon anything?

 

            Though no one was going to be ruling anything if Mal didn't come through for her.  It had been months, and not a single word.  For all Maleficent knew, Mal was out dancing in the forest and feeding the squirrels with the rest of those Auradon idiots.

 

            Disgusting.  Maleficent had raised that girl to be better than that, but what was she supposed to do?  You couldn't make a jellyfish sit upright, and you couldn't make that girl strong if she was determined to be weak. 

 

            Not for the first time, she wondered if she should have taken Jafar up on his offer of a second child.  She could have fixed the mistakes she made with Mal. 

 

            Unlike the rest of the miscreants on this blasted Island, Maleficent paid attention to what was happening in Auradon.  She had held on to her TV, and actually watched their ridiculous propaganda instead of just turning it off or using it for target practice. 

 

            It was how she knew things that no one else did, including Jafar.  The man had his uses, but part of being the future ruler of Auradon was knowing when to keep things to herself.              If Grimhilde hadn't decided to refuse to acknowledge that Auradon even existed, she would have known exactly what had happened to that pretty little girl of hers.  That hair was unmistakable, and it never failed to make Maleficent laugh that little Evie was a real princess now, not just the sort that claimed she was because her mother was delusional.  She was also the beauty that Grimhilde had once hoped to be. 

 

            She was also almost certain that she knew which child was Jafar's.  His name was Jay now, not Jadir, but that dark hair and those steely eyes were unmistakable. He had  grown up to be quite a handsome young man.  Definitely an improvement over his father.  

 

            It wasn't that she thought Jafar cared about the boy.  But it was interesting to see how those children had turned out.  By all accounts, they were healthy, happy, and absolutely charming.  Evie had her mother's looks and a set of brains that must have come from her father (whomever that man was).  Not just Evie and Jay, but all of the children seemed to be....gag..... _good._

 

But that wasn't them.   It wasn't who those children had been born to be.  They were stunted caricatures of the villains they should have been.  It made Maleficent alternately thrilled and disgusted to think of how Evie should have been taught to use those looks and that intellect to have men cowering at her feet.  Instead she was prancing around Auradon, soft and useless.  

 

            They must have seen something in her, though, because Maleficent had heard all about how Princess Evie was already leading diplomatic missions within Auradon, and would be moving on to leading them outside of the country within the year.   'Diplomat', was just a kind way of saying 'manipulator'.  And a good manipulator could not only have people cowering at their feet, but have them thanking her for the opportunity to do so.    Ug, what Maleficent could do with that child. 

 

            She had been planning this for almost two decades, since before the Island had even been created.  She had heard the rumors, and knew that she would be one of the first to go.   After all, she didn't earn the title 'Mistress of all Evil' by being someone that people would favor for redemption. 

 

            Hiding herself wasn't an option either.   Not only was it beneath her, but she was 5'2 with a set of 8 inch horns coming out of her head.  She wasn't exactly inconspicuous. 

 

            So she had to come up with a better plan.   With the new King's strict ban on magic of all sorts, casting a glamour on herself was out of the question unless she wanted more attention brought down on her. 

 

            But she had more abilities than she magic.  She had the one ability that almost all women possessed, and the brains to use it properly.  She could bear a child.  And that child could be the one to bring Auradon down. 

 

            With any luck, the child would be a girl.   Boys were stronger, but girls had a delicious spitefulness and sneakiness that boys could never even begin to touch.  A little girl, who she could raise to be her double.  

           

            She would have to choose carefully, of course.  It wouldn't do for the child to be born with horns, for more than one reason.  She certainly wasn't going to push some horned beast out of her body, and the child having horns would defeat the purpose.  She wanted her baby to blend in, not stick out.

 

            Even before the Isle existed, she was watching for the right man.  He would have to be attractive (she couldn't count on her genes alone for looks, and being beautiful, especially for a girl, would get her further.), but easily overpowered.  He would need to be disposed of eventually.  The only debate would be if it should be done after the conception or after the birth.  She didn't want him sniffing around once it became clear that she was pregnant, but she didn't want to go through all of the trouble of finding the right man only to end up losing the pregnancy. 

 

            In the end, she decided to dispose of him immediately.  The Island existed at this point, and it was impossible to keep a secret.  She could keep herself hidden, but men were like buzzards with roadkill.  If she slept with him once (and hopefully it would be only once.  He was being chosen for his physical attributes, not his skills in bed), he would never leave her alone.

 

            She delivered Mal in the middle of the night, with only Diablo in attendance.  The girl was born lacking horns and wings.  Her hair would come in purple, like Maleficent's own, but it was too fine and sparse to tell right away.  She also came into the world with a shrieking cry, letting her mother know that she was there, like it or not.  It made Maleficent smile.  Good.  This child of hers was going to make her opinions known.

 

            The Great Raid was the best thing that could have ever happened to her.  She had done her best to keep Mal hidden, but this was an amazing opportunity.  Even if someone had seen Mal, they would assume that she had been snatched with the rest of the children.  It was a gift from below, a sign that things were actually turning in her favor. 

 

            It hadn't taken long for her to realize that, while she had great plans for when Mal was a little older, the day to day care of a baby was too much for her.  They were just so....boring.  And messy.  And loud   And needy.   So she had to go with her back up plan, which was getting a second pair of hands to care for this squalling disaster. 

 

            That didn't mean she was willing to just let anyone do it, though.  She was holding the Isle's biggest secret, and she had to be very careful about who she let in on it.  A man, definitely.  It was far easier for a woman to manipulate a man than it was to manipulate another woman.  And she needed someone who would be easily swayed to her will. A man, one who was easily led, and one who was well known.  She would need an excuse for him to be at her home constantly, and Maleficent did not surround herself with losers.

 

            In the end, she chose Jafar.  His interest was piqued when he was invited over, but that interest quickly turned to horror when he was presented with Mal.  He tried to back out, claiming that he had no interest in his own son, and certainly no ability to care for an infant.  

 

            She had been completely unsympathetic.  He better learn how to take care of Mal, because if she found one mark on that child, he would wish that he had never been born.  Mal was hers, and no one else had the right to touch her.   

 

            As it turned out, Jafar feared Maleficent's wrath enough to figure out basic care for Mal.  He clearly resented her, but he did keep her her cleaned, fed, and from annoying Maleficent too much, so she counted it as a win.  A leader was always going to be resented, and the earlier Mal got used to that idea, the better it would be for her. 

 

            Once she was out of the toddler stage, Maleficent had to admit that the girl did become more interesting.  She was quite bright (not that Maleficent would ever let her know that.  The girl couldn't be allowed to become complacent)  and she was very artistically inclined, just like her father.   How fascinating that the girl would pull talents from a man she had never met and would never be able to encourage her. 

 

            Maleficent allowed the art as an interest.  The girl was talented, and who knew which of her talents would prove useful in the future? 

 

            But now?  No sign of her.  No letters, no visits, nothing.  For the love of evil, she could have sent some damned smoke signals. It absolutely burned Maleficent not to know what was happening over there in Auradon. 

 

            And this time, she had no one to turn to.  She had been keeping her eyes on the announcement's from Auradon, but they seemed to be keeping Mal under wraps.  Her name had been mentioned here and there, but Maleficent hadn't seen so much as a picture of her since the day she left.  Jafar couldn't help her.  She had no idea where to turn.

 

            With a heavy sigh, Maleficent threw herself down into her favorite chair to sulk.  Until Mal made an actual move, there was nothing she could do right now.  The girls first instruction had been to open a line of communication between them, and she hadn't even managed that.

 

            As she tossed her head back, she saw something out of the corner of her eye, something she hadn't thought of before.  It was a bit blurry at this distance, but Hell House was out there, beckoning to her.

 

            Of course!  Mal wasn't the only kid who had been sent to Auradon lately.  The freaky little deVil boy had gone with her.  What was his name? Cary?  Calvin?  Carlos, that was it.   Maybe he had called home.

 

            The trick of course, would be getting Cruella to remember that she had even sent Carlos to Auradon, much less remembering if he had contacted her since then.   But it was all she had, so she was just going to have to go over there and hope for the best.  With anyone else, she would have attempted intimidation, or even violence if she thought it was necessary, but those tactics were useless with Cruella.  The woman was too crazy to have any idea of the danger she was in. 

 

            Well, it was a plan, and better than nothing.  Maleficent stood and grabbed her robes.  If she appreciated nothing else, Cruella did  appreciate a well put together outfit. 

 

            Cruella didn't seem at all surprised to see her. “Maleficent, my Dove.  To what do I owe the pleasure of your company?  If that boy was supposed to make you something and hasn't followed through, there's nothing I can do about that.   I have no idea where he is, and you need to get in line behind everyone else who is angry at him.”

 

            Oh for Evil's sake.  “Your boy doesn't owe me anything.  I was just curious to know if you had heard from him since we sent the children to Auradon.”

 

            “Don't be silly.   They didn't take him to Auradon.  They took the others, but they forgot him.”

 

            “Not 16 years ago.  Just a few months ago.  Don't you remember the King specifically asking for Carlos and Mal?  They left on August 19th?”

 

            Cruella's head snapped around, and Maleficent suddenly regretted coming here.  Either Cruella had never known that Carlos had gone to Auradon, or she had forgotten.  The rage in her eyes was so deep that Maleficent found herself taking a step backwards.  She wasn't used to thinking of anyone but herself, but she was suddenly feeling glad that Carlos wasn't anywhere near his mother. 

 

            “Oh, really.  Because I wasn't consulted about this.  They stole my child and they will pay.”

 

            In that instant, Maleficent saw the face of the woman who was willing to skin puppies, and realized for the first time why this woman was known as one of the most evil villains sent to the Island.  Had Carlos been there with them, she would have feared for his life.  “Yes, well I was just wondering if he had made any attempt to contact you since he left.”

 

            “Of course not.  The little bastard wants to run away from home, he's not going to call and let me know that he's still alive and not dead in a ditch somewhere.  Well, when I go and get him, he's going to long for the days when I was just considering using the bear trap to keep him under control.”

 

               Maleficent knew that she was hard on Mal.  Some might even claim she was too hard on the girl.  But Cruella's suggested treatment of her son made Maleficent look like some weakling Auradon mother. 

 

               She shouldn't have come here.  Not only did Cruella obviously know nothing, but she had outed Carlos' hiding spot to his clearly insane mother.  Even she couldn't help but feel a small tug somewhere in the vicinity of her heart.  When she was ruling Auradon, she was going to find a spot for the boy in the castle, where she could keep her eyes on him.   He wasn't going to make it otherwise.  And it would be a pity to lose his talents to something as mundane as a bear trap.

 

               “You know, I think I might need to leave early.  Thank you for a lovely time and the information you've shared.”  She didn't know why she was bothering.  Cruella had clearly forgotten that she was there.  The other woman was pacing back and forth, grumbling to herself and slamming dishes.   It seemed like a good time to leave, before that dark rage boiled over and turned on her. 

 

               This had been a colossal waste of her time, at least as far as communication with Mal was concerned.  But it had taught her an important lesson as it pertained to Cruella.  She should never, ever underestimate anyone on this Island.  They were all here for a reason, and that reason was inevitably horrible.  To most of the Isle, Cruella was a thing to be pitied.  Maleficent had seen the real darkness there, and realized the demon that lurked under the thin veneer of insanity.  It made her shudder a bit.

 

               But she couldn't get too caught up in Cruella and her spawn.   She needed to focus on her own daughter, and the fact that she had heard nothing from her.   Maybe it was time to start making a few phone calls.  After all, Mommy missed her darling Mal, and she needed to talk to her sweet baby girl.  And who cared if Mal wanted to talk back.  This wasn't about Mal.  It was a bout Maleficent, and the plan that she had waited for more than 16 year to see coming to fruition. 

 

               Now, time to polish up on her 'doting mother' voice.....

 


	22. Chapter 22

 

 

"We all begin in innocence. We all become guilty."—Leonard F. Peltier

 

Patience, patience. She was going to be nice and patient, just like her mother had been for so many years. Well, not the nice part. But patient. Yelling and screaming would get her nothing.

 

The door clicked open, and Carlos snuck inside. He didn't seem ruffled at all when their eyes met. This could be very bad. Her plan hinged on being able to intimidate Carlos into following her. “So you're still stuck in this class, I see.”

 

He nodded, rolling his eyes as he did so. But he came over and sat next to her, pulling his whiteboard out of his bag. TONIGHT?

 

“We both know you can talk. I don't know why you insist on pretending that you can't.” She couldn't quite keep the frustration out of her voice.

 

Carlos smirked at her, keeping his mouth resolutely shut. He didn't want to talk, and she wasn't going to make him.

 

“You are an enormous freak, do you know that? No wonder everyone here thinks you're as crazy as your mother.”

 

He blinked once, clearly surprised that she had brought his mother up. Okay, that wasn't ladylike or patient. What would Evie do? “I mean, talk or don't. Whatever makes you happy. Let's talk about tonight.” There you go. Give him a choice and then move on.

 

He sat back and crossed his arms, giving his chin a quick jerk. It was as clear as if he had spoken. _Go on._

 

“This might be our only chance, so you need to pay some quick attention. There's a bathroom on the second story by the kitchen that has two doors. I'll let you know which one it is when we get there. You need to make an excuse to use it. Tell Jay you have explosive diarrhea. It doesn't' matter as long as you can get him to leave you alone. With me so far?”

 

He nodded seriously. Of course he was with her. “Okay. So I'll keep everyone moving, and you go out the opposite door. That should buy you some time to look around and figure out the best escape route once we have the wand. When we finally get caught up to you, just tell them you went out the wrong door and got lost. Do you think you can pull that off?”

 

The calculating look melted into the most pitiful face she had ever seen. Huge, soft brown eyes that were just begging for help and forgiveness. Twisting fingers that betrayed his nerves. Ducked head, just waiting for the blow that he was sure was coming. It was so realistic that Mal felt her own heart pang a little.

 

Just as suddenly as it had appeared, though, it was gone, and he was staring at her with the same callous look that she usually got from him. “Yeah, you can pull it off. Good. Now, once-”

 

The door opened and Fairy Godmother breezed in. “Look at the two of you, getting along so well! See how much more pleasant things are when we choose kindness rather than aggression?”

 

Carlos went blank, just like he always did around Fairy Godmother. Honestly, could be be any more obvious? Mal smiled at her. “It _is_ much nicer when Carlos and I work together for a common goal. We're ready to present our project on goodness now.”

 

“Really? The two of you have been quite the busy little bees, now haven't you? You're a week early.”

 

The project had been finished for a week already, but there was no reason to let that out. If being here in Auradon had taught her nothing else, it had taught her that projects really did go faster with more than one person working on them. Maybe that was why her mother kept Jafar around, and why she had had so many minions when she was the Queen.

 

Mal grabbed the poster board she had decorated and signaled Carlos to the front of the room. He stood reluctantly and without making eye contact with either her or Fairy Godmother. She knew that Fairy Godmother was expecting that he was going to help with presenting, but she couldn't see that happening.

 

At least that was what she was hoping for. She had pushed it a little far by bringing up Cruella and she had to make up for it. Not because she cared about Carlos and his precious feelings (for fucks sake, everyone else was obsessed over him and his feelings. That dint' means _she_ had to give a shit), but because she needed him. Four months in this miserable place and the best plan she had been able to come up with meant relying on her worst enemy. It was humiliating.

 

Part of living on the Island was learning how to think on your feet and lie as easily as you breathed She hadn't practiced her speech about goodness because she hadn't needed to. She could get up there and give a 20 minute discourse on goodness and why it was the best choice, citing sources and giving detailed examples. That didn't make it any less bullshit, but Fairy Godmother had no proof of that.

 

She was about halfway though when Fairy Godmother signaled for her to stop. “Wonderful job, Mal. But do you think Carlos would like a chance to present?”

 

“No. I think he would rather claw his eyes out.”

 

Next to her, Carlos gave a quick snort and nodded.

 

If she didn't speak for him, it was going to turn into another staring contest between Carlos and Fairy Godmother, and that never ended well. He was not a person to get into a power struggle with, because he was better at it then most. Had Fairy Godmother thought to consult Mal before starting on this fools errand, she would have told the older woman just that.

 

“He did most of the research and wrote the paper. We both made the poster and I'm giving the report. It's how we agreed to split up the work.”

 

Well, kind of. Carlos had pretty much dumped the completed paper in her lap and considered his part in the process done. But Mal knew that that wasn't a smart thing to say to Fairy Godmother. It was better to present things the Auradon way, and that meant sugar-coating it.

 

“I'll let it go for this report, but next time I would like to see Carlos present as well.”

 

“Okay. I can now.” To both of their shocks, Carlos spoke up. For some reason, she had expected his voice to be high or breathy, more like a child's. It wasn't super deep, but it was definitely a mans voice. A closer look at him, though, revealed a smirk that always meant trouble.

 

 

“Wonderful. Are the two of your ready to make the switch now?”

 

Carlos passed her the poster and turned to face Fairy Godmother. Then he started signing rapidly. Mal couldn't quit suppress her snort. He was presenting all right, but not in a way that anyone understood. She also had a sneaking suspicion that the actual words he was trying to say didn't involve his middle finger flipping up quite so often.

.

“Whoa, Carlos. You know that it's difficult for me to understand you when you sign, much less when you do it so quickly.

 

THAT IS WHY MAL PRESENTS. He was much slower and clearer this time.

 

“You're supposed to be practicing speaking more and projecting your voice. Signing doesn't accomplish that.”

 

IT HURTS ME TO TALK.

 

Mal knew that that was entirely bullshit. He talked to Jay all the time with no signs of pain. But she kept her mouth shut. Let Carlos do his thing and don't upset him before tonight.

 

Fairy Godmother wasn't fooled either, but it was tough to call him on it. She had zero proof that he was lying, and they all knew that Anita was willing to swoop in the minute she thought he was being mistreated. Figured that he was so pathetic he had to hide behind Mommy's skirts. She couldn't deny that it worked for him, though.

 

“If speaking genuinely hurts you, then we need to have a doctor do a more complete exam. He didn't see anything that would cause you pain on the basic level. We may need to do a sedated exam to make sure everything is alright in there.”

 

She had hit on the one thing that they all knew would freak Carlos out. He didn't fear pain from the doctors. Most of the time he didn't even notice it. But the thought of being knocked out, when anyone could do anything to him was frightening. Carlos needed that control over his own body and everything around him, and not having it was one of the few things that would upset him badly.

 

Other than a quick flash of fear, though, he remained composed and gave them a cool stare.

 

Mal stepped back in. “May I finish the presentation, please? This is my part and the two of you are kind of messing me up.”

 

Carlos took the poster back and gestured for her to continue. She wasn't sure what he had actually said, and neither was Fairy Godmother, so she just went on as if she had never been interrupted. The bullshit was really flowing today. “And that is why Goodness is not just the best choice, it is the only choice. Thank you.” She did that curtsy thing that Evie had taught her and smiled. She had to remember to use the one that showed her teeth, not the one that looked like she was snarling.

 

“Wonderful, both of you! Carlos, do you understand what Mal is saying?”

 

He nodded vaguely. Of course he understood it. He might be just as nuts as his mother (and she had to remember not to say that), but he wasn't stupid. The both of them knew that it was bullshit, but that didn't mean that they didn't understand what was being said.

 

“Your presentation was excellent. You may have the remaining 20 minutes of class to relax and talk to each other.”

 

She just never gave up, did she? But this played right into Mal's plans, she she was fine with it. Carlos looked at her out of the corner of his eye and nodded slightly. He got it.

 

He took his place next to her, waiting carefully until Fairy Godmother became involved in grading papers. “So, where were we?”

 

U-S-E B-A-T-H-R-O-O-M A-S E-X-C-U-S-E. T-H-E-N?

 

For a second, Mal was thrown by the fact that she understood everything he was signing. She might not get all of the signs that Jay did, but she had learned the letters without meaning to. While she hated that she had learned anything from the kid, she had to admit that this probably came with uses. Especially if she didn't let on that she knew. “How about in English?”

 

NO. He raised one hand and spun it in slow circles, the classic 'go on' gesture. “Okay, once you rejoin the group, you need to be sure to not make it seem like anything is up. Just eat dinner, and leave. You and I will talk about what you found later on. I'm going to need a picture, can you do that?”

 

Nod.

 

“I don't think I need to tell you that this is to be kept a secret. From everyone, including your little boyfriend, Jay.”

 

She expected a hot denial, but all she got was a confused look. It was like the idea of Jay being his boyfriend hadn't even occurred to him. Which was weird, because she would have assumed they were already fucking.

 

Conversation (and she used that term _very_ loosely) petered out after that. Carlos wandered back to the front of the room, where he seemed to be having a debate with Fairy Godmother. Finally, she nodded and he smiled.

 

So he was going to be spending the weekend with Roger and Anita. He only gave that smile when he was getting a weekend away from Auradon Prep.

 

Like she cared. She didn't need a Mommy here in Auradon. She had one at home that loved her and wanted what was best for her. And even if that hadn't been true, it wouldn't have mattered. She didn't need a family. Having other people made you weak, and she couldn't afford that. She was willing to sacrifice a little of her independence and strength for Evie, but that was where it ended.

 

She had manipulated Carlos into doing as she wanted, because he was weak enough to be worry about other people. He had something she needed, and he traded it for the safety of three other people. Moron. She had no idea how he had survived as long as he had on the Island.

 

Because he had been holding the power and she had accidentally let him know that. She couldn't figure out an escape route on her own. Without and escape route, the rest of the plan was useless.

 

She was confident in her magical abilities. She had put holes in paper, in fabric, in both regular and concrete walls. The holes were small, but that didn't matter. All she needed was a hole large enough to pass the wand through. And once she put the tiniest hole all the way through the barrier, the magic would flood through it and allow her mother to help her. They would be working together, just like a real family.

 

But she had to get there first, and that was why she needed Carlos.

 

A tap sounded at the door and Evie poked her head in. “Is everyone done? Because class ended 10 minutes ago.”

 

All three of them startled. This was the longest that she and Carlos had gone without a fight since the first day when he had knocked her down in the market. Having a common goal really did help, who knew?

 

The three of them always walked together, dropping Carlos off at either PE or one of his science classes (if they knew about what he was really capable of, they wouldn't let him near those chemicals. They wouldn't let him touch anything more than baking soda and vinegar, and he could probably still find some way to make a huge explosion with those). Mal made sure to get there first and take Evie's hand, just so Carlos couldn't. No one on the Isle held hands like that. If you had someone by the hand, you could jerk them, you could restrain them long enough to go for a weapon, you could break the fragile bones. The only reason you held hands was to tell the worlds that that person belonged to you.

 

But here it was commonplace. Parents held their children's hands, not to punish or hurt them, but to keep them safe from others who might do so. Boyfriends and girlfriends held hands as equals, not willing to let the other go for even a minute. Even friends held hands, to show how much they liked each other. Carlos would never reach for Evie's hand, but she would sometimes take his. Mal needed for him to know who Evie belonged to. She would have liked it better if there was less hand holding in Auradon, so everyone would know that Mal was staking a massive claim on their Princess.

 

Of course, he didn't react, but Mal knew that he noticed. Good. Carlos had Anita and Roger, and he had Jay. The rumor floating around was that the Tourney Team would beat down anyone who harassed him. All Mal had (and all she wanted, just to be clear), was Evie. Mal knew that Evie felt a draw to Carlos, since Evie's mother had raised him. She had questions that only he could answer, and Mal couldn't hold a candle to that.

 

“How did your presentation go? Was Fairy Godmother surprised that you got it done so early?”

 

“Our presentation was fantastic. Even Carlos got a chance to present, didn't you?” She poked him just a little harder than was comfortable, and he bared his teeth at her in what could almost be mistaken as a smile. He hated it when she tried to touch him.

 

“Yeah? How did that go?” Evie seemed impressed and Mal regretted speaking at all.

 

“He wouldn't talk and Fairy Godmother couldn't understand him. I had to rescue them both. Also, he flipped her off, but I don't know if she saw it.”

 

“Carlos!” But she sounded more amused then upset. “That's not a gentlemanly thing to do.”

 

Anything else she wanted to say about it was cut off by their arriving at the door of his chemistry class. He gave them a quick wave goodbye and went inside without looking back.

 

“Do you think he'll ever be okay?” Evie's voice was very soft as she stared at the closed door.

 

“He's fine now.” Mal didn't know what suddenly compelled her to defend Carlos, other than she didn't want Evie to see him as broken. If she saw Carlos that way, what stopped her from thinking the same thing about Mal? Did she sometimes turn to Jay and ask if Mal would ever be okay, or if she was just a lost cause?

 

“We both know that isn't true. He's better than he was, but he's not okay. I'm scared that one day he'll just walk away from here and never come back. You'll stay, I know you will.”

 

Evie didn't know as much as she thought she did. Carlos wasn't going anywhere. He had had his chance to run already, and he had chosen to come back. He had tried the alternative and he wasn't going anywhere. Mal, on the other hand, was going to blow this place as soon as she had the wand. She would take Evie with her, of course, but there was no reason to reveal that this early. She had a feeling that Evie might have some objections to that plan, and she was counting on shock to keep the other girl compliant. Once things really went down, Evie would understand that Mal wanted only to protect her from the swarm of villains getting ready to invade Auradon. It was going to be a delicate and dangerous time, just like any time there was a change in leadership.

 

Mal would keep Evie safe, though. It might cause a little bit of a fight between her and her mother, but who cared? Mal was the one who had done the work and taken the chances. She deserved Evie. Actually, she deserved a lot more than that, but she knew better than to just come right out and demand too much of her mother at first. Even just demanding Evie and her safety wasn't likely to end well for her. Maleficent appreciated people who stood up to her, as long as they weren't her own daughter. But Evie was worth it.

 

But back to Carlos. “He'll stay. He came back when he had the chance to stay gone. But I maintain that he's okay now. He's just his version of okay instead of yours.. He's not going to be the Auradon version of okay. He's not going to be the Auradon version of anything.”

 

“Are _you_ your version of okay? Sometimes I think so, and sometimes I think not.” Trust Evie to see through what they were saying about Carlos to what Mal really wanted to say about herself but couldn't.

 

“Not yet. But I will be with a little time.” When her mother was there, but there was no reason to reveal that just yet.

 

“Is there anything I can do to help?”

 

“Nah, you're already doing it. These things just take time, I guess. I don't' know, I've never done it before.”

 

Evie's hand squeezed hers, and it helped a bit with the tight feeling in her chest. Sure, Evie was going to be pretty pissed off when this all went down, but hopefully she would understand that Mal was doing it for Evie's own good and protection. Evie loved her people, but those weren't Mal's people. Her people were the people of the Island, the ones who she had left behind. While she really didn't owe them anything, she owed the people of Auradon even less.

 

Right? Right. It had to be.

 

 

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“You have to, Pup. We're going to dinner with the King and Queen of Auradon, not for fast food. There are rules.” Jay kept his voice cajoling, unsure of why this was such a big deal.

 

Carlos gave his head a stubborn shake. He obviously didn't care (or possibly both didn't really understand _and_ didn't care) about the rules of Auradon.

 

Jay crossed his arms over his chest, noticing that Carlos mimicked the action. “Fine. Why not?”

 

DON”T LIKE IT.

 

“Why? It's just long pants. It's not a big deal.” It was so rare that Carlos got this stubborn with him (now other people? That was a different story.) that Jay wasn't quite sure what to do about it.

 

HURTS.

 

“Pants hurt?” Jay gave Carlos a look that suggested he wasn't buying that bullshit. 'It hurts' was Carlos' bratty defense whenever he didn't want to do something. Because they were nice to him here, and why would anyone want to do something to hurt him? He didn't usually try it with Jay, though, just the adults.

 

But Carlos was nodding, his eyes deadly serious.

 

“Are they the wrong size? Because they're the same size as your shorts.”

 

I KNOW

 

The adults around him insisted that the 'encourage Carlos to speak' and 'make his world as verbal as possible.' As far as Jay could tell, what that really meant was 'force him to speak and ignore him until he does.' Jay wasn't going to do that. Carlos spoke to him almost 100% of the time. He spoke for Dr. Doppler about a quarter of the time. He might speak to someone else if Jay was around to back him up. Other than that, nothing.

 

But who gave a fuck? He could talk, and he talked fine. He didn't lisp or stutter. He wasn't very loud, but he was getting better as he built strength and confidence. Jay didn't get why everyone wanted Carlos to move at their pace. What was wrong with just moving at his own? He was still going forward, wasn't he? The adults were so picky sometimes.

 

Just a few minutes later, Carlos came bouncing out. He held his arms out and turned in a circle, asking for Jay's approval. “What do I think?”

 

“What do you think?” His head cocked to the side, waiting patiently.

 

See, that was how you made his world verbal. If Jay asked a question, even a really obvious one, Carlos would answer him. Though Jay had noticed that a lot of the time, Carlos would start by repeating what he just been said to him. “I think you look great. You pull it off, Pup.”

 

He really did. While anyone else would have looked mismatched, with a nice black jacket and bow tie, and red shorts, Carlos looked fine. Jay wondered if Cruella had actually sat down and taught him any of that or it was just in the genes.

 

Jay knew better than to ask, though. Carlos told him a lot, even when he didn't want to actually talk about it, but Jay tried not to ask about life on the Island if he could help it. And he definitely didn't want to talk about Cruella. If Carlos brought her up, it would be one thing, but Jay sensed that that was something better left alone.

 

“Yeah. Of course.” Carlos gave him a cheeky little grin.

 

“Of course, huh? Getting a little bit of an ego there, right?” Jay jumped forward, grabbing at Carlos. The other boy chuckled at little and dodged around him. The problem was, there wasn't really anywhere for him to go, so he was pretty easy to catch. He had progressed to the point where he understood that this was a game and that he wasn't in any danger. He was totally relaxed when Jay knocked him back against the bed and tickled him. “Are you going to behave yourself tonight?”

 

Shrug. “Please? For me?”

 

Carlos made a face, working his jaw back and forth as he thought. “Okay. No bad behavior. All good.”

 

“Use your silverware from left to right, and don't start eating until the King and Queen do. Just watch what Evie and I do, and you'll be fine.”

 

OK. I AM NICE AND I WILL USE MANNERS.

 

It wasn't so much that Jay worried about Carlos and his manners for a typical dinner. Carlos understood what was expected of him and would perform to the best of his abilities, since Jay had specifically asked him to.

 

If he remained calm and collected, it would be no problem. But Carlos was jittery, and had proven that he panicked easily and was unable to think when he did. He had proven that when Dude arrived on the Tourney field. The problem was, he had no idea what else might be a problem. If he bolted at the castle, their only hope would be keeping him in there, instead of setting him free in the woods. This time, he might not come back.

 

“Are you two ready!” Evie knocked on the door. “The car is waiting for us.”

 

“Ready!” Jay pushed the door open, smiling a little at the small “ready” that echoed behind him.

 

The four of them jostled their way to the car. Carlos and Mal sat right next to each other, choosing for forgo a fight in favor of looking for the candy they knew was hidden in the micro fridge. Once they both had something, they scooted aside for Jay and Evie to get theirs.

 

“Carlos, you always pick the same peanut butter cups. Why don't you try some rock candy?” Evie held out her stick (blue of course, always blue) so he could have a lick. At the same time, she lightly stroked his cheek. He jumped, like he always did when anyone touched him, then he leaned in to her a little bit. Just for a second, but it was still long enough to make Jay jealous. Carlos licked his lips thoughtfully and then nodded. Yep, he liked the rock candy.

 

So what? Carlos liked all types of candy. And with the exception of fish and mayonnaise, he liked all types of food as well. It wasn't like Evie had done anything special or learned something amazing about him.

 

Carlos leaned into Jay so he could whisper in his ear. “This is the car they brought us here in.”

 

“Are you sure? Because all of the limos look exactly the same. And they all have that weird smell.”

 

Without missing a beat, Carlos pointed to a dent in the fabric covered foam on the door, then put his foot against it. Perfect match. “You kicked the door?”

 

“Mal moved.” He said it with such disappointment that Jay had to chuckle. “It looks bigger but it's not.”

 

“You're just more comfortable and feel less closed in. Are you ready for this?”

 

YES.

 

17 peanut cups, 9 sticks of rock candy, two packages of Twizzlers (plus the one Jay slipped into his pocket), 3 chocolate bars, and a pack of Sour Skittles later, they arrived at the castle. Evie's Mom and Dad were waiting out front and Jay felt Carlos tense against him. He leaned in to whisper. “It's okay. You've met both of them before, and I'll stick by your side the entire time.”

 

That seemed to help, though his eyes were still darting back and forth nervously. He stepped out of the limit, giving the statues out front a dirty look. Ben had set off the changing Beast/King statue out in front of Auradon Prep one day last week, and Carlos still wasn't 100% over the surprise it had given him. That surprise hadn't, however, stopped him from trying to set it off every time they went by it. No matter how many times Jay told him that it would only respond to a member of the Royal Family, Carlos was convinced that he could figure it out with enough time. He probably would, too.

 

Fortunately for everyone, neither the King nor the Queen tried to shake hands. They just smiled and welcomed everyone, nodding at Carlos' half-hearted wave in greeting. As they walked through the giant front door, Mal whispered to Evie. “Can we have a tour? He hasn't been here before and he might get lost.”

 

Instantly, Jay's mental alarms went off. Not because he didn't think a tour was a good idea, but because Mal had been the one to suggest it. He didn't believe for a second that it was done out of concern for Carlos' comfort or safety. He might not know that much about Mal, but he knew enough to know she always had a plan.

 

But Carlos was nodding, and Jay figured that he had to know Mal better than anyone. If Carlos was fine and relaxed with it, Jay guessed he would be as well.

 

Evie nodded. “That's a good idea. I love giving the Grand Tour.”

 

Jay was as familiar with the palace as he was with his own home, but it was nice to see how interested Carlos was. The smaller boy was honed in with an intensity that Jay usually only saw when he was working on one of his inventions. It was kind of surprising, really. How exciting could hearing 'and this is a bathroom, and this is the East Wing, and this is another bedroom' really be?” Especially for someone who had shown zero interest in those things in the past.”

 

It took almost an hour to go through the first floor, and when Evie pointed out a bathroom on the second, Carlos indicated needing to use it. “You girls go on, I'll wait with him.”

 

“No.” Carlos shook his head and made shooing gestures with one hand. Clearly Jay wasn't wanted.

 

“Are you use? Because I don't mind waiting....”

 

“He can catch up if he wants. Carlos, just turn left and follow the carpet with the blue lines in it and you'll be fine. We try to keep people from getting lost in here.”

 

Carlos gave her a quick thumbs up and closed the door. Mal gave Evie a surprised look. “You didn't tell me that the floors were color coded.”

 

“Well, you're always with me, so there would be no way for you to get lost. But, yeah, those thin stripes of color will always lead you back to the front door.”

 

Mal smiled, and it was a normal one, not the creepy plotting one she got sometimes. “We should have races later on tonight. You can have the blue lines, because, well, you know...” She gave Evie's curls a playful tug. “Now, what are the other colors? There isn't a purple one, is there? Because that would be too perfect.”

 

“Actually, there is. It's the West Wing. There isn't much in there, though. Back when my parents first got together, there was a West Wing where my father lived and my mother was never to go back there under any circumstances. He made sure this place had one as well, so he could remember who had had once been, and be sure to never be that person again.”

 

“Everyone does that here. They like to have reminders of how to be good, like they can't remember how to do it on their own.” Mal tipped her head back and stared at Evie. “Why is that?”

 

“Those who do not remember the past are doomed to repeat it. We're all the result of our past experiences, and pretending they didn't happen does no one any good.”

 

When Mal smiled this time, it was the one Jay was used to seeing. The sly one that said she was about to pull one over on someone. “But yet, you chose to hide the villains away so no one would have to look at them and remember what they had done. Isn't anyone worried about that past coming back to repeat itself?”

 

She had a point, even Jay had to admit that. But Evie had been trained for debate from the moment she learned to speak, and she wasn't going to be easily cowed or outdone. “Actually, you're completely correct. We tried to push the villains and their actions out of our minds, and look how well it worked out for everyone. Look how well it worked for you and Carlos. Even look at Jay and I. By hiding the past away on the Isle of the Lost and forgetting about it, they encouraged the same destructive behaviors to continue. Stealing, killing, assault, it's as bad or worse than it was in Auradon. And it wasn't just limited to there. Trying to hide the past had it's affect on on the people in Auradon, too.”

 

Mal narrowed her eyes. “How?”

 

“As you are quite fond of reminding us, we stole a generation of children, in a misguided attempt to civilize them and make them better than they were. Obviously, we knew that something was terribly wrong on that Island, or we would have left them their kids. But we didn't. We kidnapped a bunch of babies. So we have stealing and kidnapping. Then you have the lying about where the children came from and denying them their very own selves and heritage. So, the saying holds.”

 

“Touche.” Mal smiled again. “So, if I were to ask your father the same thing at dinner tonight, would he say the same thing?”

 

Evie groaned. “Please don't bring it up at dinner. The Kingdom has had enough of your dinner topics to last a lifetime. And I'm sure that my father would agree that the Island has proven to be a bigger headache than it was worth.”

 

“So you would agree that the Island is not worth the trouble of maintaining it, even maintaining it as poorly as it's been done. So what do you think that there is to be done about it?” Mal reached out for Evie's hand, making Jay want to gag. The two of them were beyond rediculousridiculous

 

The three of them headed back to the bathroom, but it was dark and empty. Wherever Carlos was, it wasn't here. Mal pointed. “He went out the wrong door. I did that the first time, too.”

 

Shit. If Carlos had gone out door on the opposite side of the bathroom, he would have turned right instead of left, leading him deeper into the palace rather than back to the front door. How long would it be until he realized his mistake?

 

“Carlos! Carlos?” Evie called down the hallway, but all she got was an echo.

 

“He's lost. Why did you tell me to leave him!” Nerves made Jay snippy, and he turned it on Mal.

 

She was unimpressed. “I didn't tell you to do anything. I believe he was the one who told you to go on. And how lost can he be? He has the sense not to go outside. Just turn right from that other door and trace his steps.”

 

He was pretty sure that she _had_ said to leave Carlos alone, but he didn't want to debate it out with her. Better to just find Carlos and go from there. “That's a good idea. Come on.”

 

They traced the blue carpet almost to the center of the palace, calling out his name, and got nothing. For a minute, Jay wondered if Carlos had panicked and was now hiding from them. If he was, they were never going to find him.”

 

It wasn't until they were tracing their steps back again that Jay heard what sounded like a faint noise in one of the corridors. “Carlos?”

 

There was a flurry of steps, and a very guilty looking Carlos popped out of a room. I GOT LOST.

 

That much was obvious. Jay rushed forward and gave him a tight hug, ignoring the indignant squawk Carlos gave at being babied in front of the girls. And, yes, Jay knew that was the reason. Carlos never shied away from being picked up or held by Jay any more. It made Jay feel proud that he was trusted that much. It also caused a strange feeling in the pit of his stomach. Weird. “You scared me when I couldn't find you.”

 

“Nonsense. The boy was perfectly safe with me. And what a clever one he is! He's already, helped me quite a bit with this invention.” A short, portly man stepped out, smiling at Jay and Evie.

 

“Grandpere! Are you joining us for dinner?” Evie rushed to give him a hug.

 

“No, my dearest. You know how I feel about those fancy affairs. Anyway, I'm this-” He held his fingers a fraction of an inch apart. “-close to finishing this invention. My friend Carlos here has been quite a help.”

 

Carlos and Mal had been the topic of conversation around Auradon for several months now, so it was entirely possible that Maurice had picked up on their names from that. But he was a lot like an older version of Carlos. He was intensely focused on the things that interested him, but tended to completely block out what didn't. A pair of teenagers, no matter what their origins, wasn't exactly newsworthy to him. “He's good with things like that.”

 

“He's good at getting lost and distracted, too. I hope you took care of what you needed to before deciding to start making new friends.” Mal was unreasonably irritated with Carlos. They had spent all of 10 minutes looking for him. They weren't late for dinner or missing an engagement or anything like that. So why was she so pissy?”

 

“Of course I did.” His voice was surprisingly there and surprisingly loud. Jay wouldn't have thought he would talk in front of Maurice, but maybe the pair of them had been having a detailed conversation while they were alone. Even though he felt like he knew Carlos as well as anyone did, that didn't' mean he could predict what he would do in every, or even most, situations.

 

“I hope so. We wouldn't want any more interruptions of our plans, or you getting lost again, now would we?” Mal spun sharply on her heel. “It's almost time for dinner.”

 

Jay wondered if this was her way of expressing some actual concern for Carlos. She seemed genuinely upset at the thought that he had been lost in the castle. Maybe the two of them were learning to bond after all.

 

Carlos poked at him. CAN I STAY HERE TOO?

 

“No. The King and Queen went to a lot of trouble to set this up, and you need to show your manners by being there.”

 

I HATE MANNERS

 

“I know. But you're doing great. Maybe you could come back and visit with Maurice again sometime.”

 

For his part, Maurice picked up on what he was trying to do. “Oh, of course my dear boy! You don't want to waste your special night hanging out with a doddering old man when you could be enjoying a special dinner. But I would be delighted to have you join and assist me with my inventions. The twins aren't exactly the engineering type. They're more the courtly type. You go with your friends now.”

 

“Okay. I'll come back.” Usually when Carlos spoke, it was quiet and breathy, a barely there rush of air. Considering how long he had gone without speaking at all (and he swore up and down that he had not said a single word until Auradon), it was a miracle that his vocal cords worked at all. But they were not only working, they were gaining strength by the day.

 

The adults around him doubted it, but Jay was sure that there would come a day when Carlos talked far more than he signed. Maybe they would even get to where he wasn't signing at all. You just had to be patient. And Jay could do that.

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Mal had the prettiest hands. Delicate and feminine, with long fingers and soft skin. When Evie held them, it thrilled her in a way that holding a boys hand never had. But there was a strength there, too. Mal didn't' paint her nails like an Auradon girl, and she had callouses where most girls here didn't. But that only made her more special in Evie's mind. She had been waiting her entire life for Mal. A normal Auradon girl wouldn't do.

 

She swung their hands back and forth, squeezing tight. Mal leaned over to whisper in her ear. “Do you think they're fucking?”

 

“Who?” Evie had a suspicion that she already knew, but she had to ask.

 

The other girl pointed ahead of them. “Those, two, duh.”

 

Evie couldn't help but giggle, making both Jay and Carlos look back in surprise. That made Mal laugh as well. Jay rolled his eyes. “Girls are so weird.”

 

“There's always boys!” Mal's voice was chirpy and she blew him a kiss. He turned back to Carlos.

 

“See what I mean?” Then he was off and talking about something else, paying Evie and Mal no mind.

 

It gave her a chance to whisper back to Mal. “Of course not. Jay's straight. Why, do you think Carlos isn't?”

 

“I don't think he's one thing or the other. At home, they don't make a big deal about sex and who you liked. You just picked a person and used them. It didn't matter if they were boys or girls. So he wouldn't really be straight or not. Just himself.”

 

The boys had pulled a head a little, so it would be impossible for them to overhear her. “Is that what you did? Used people?”

 

“Of course I did. Don't ever make the mistake of thinking that we're different or that we acted differently than anyone else there. You act the way that's expected of you, we act the way that's expected of us. It's just the way it is.”

 

Evie understood that. She didn't like it, but she did understand. Mal read her face. “If you're asking if I had sex with people and used them in that way, the answer is no. My mother was very clear about not wanting me to sully myself.”

 

How many people would think that Evie was sullying herself with Mal? Plenty. There were still a few people who objected to any of the children being taken of the Isle, even the ones who had been as young as Evie and Jay. There were far more who objected to Carlos and Mal. Even those who thought that they deserved a chance might balk at the thought of one of them being with their very own Princess.

 

There were quick movements in front of her as Carlos raced forward, sprinting, then turning a series of flips down the long hallway. He finished with a quick spin and a silent laugh. It was one of the few times that Evie had seen him look truly happy.

 

“Not bad. But how about this?” Jay wasn't as flexible or quick as Carlos, but he had more strength, and was able to push through a handspring and a quick flip.

 

Mal laughed. “Boys. No sense of decorum at all.” She called out. “And I could kick ass on both of you!”

 

From there, it devolved into chaos. The hallway was straight and long, making it a perfect place to turn stunts. Carlos knocked into a door frame trying to flip over Jay's back, Mal's hair was a mess, and Evie herself had kicked off her heels and turned a back handspring. Once he determined that Carlos was actually alright (the way he touched the other boy made Evie wonder if there wasn't something there after all.), Jay went into Tourney Captain mode and was encouraging them all to go higher, faster, wilder. All four of them were laughing to the point where it was hard to catch their breaths, but they kept going anyway.

 

There were a series of flashes of light, and everyone froze. It was chilling to see how quickly both Mal and Carlos went from laughing and having a good time to their usual blank looks. Even though they had been standing side by side, they now moved away from each other. Her mother smiled sadly and held out her phone. “I was just taking a few pictures. Do you want to see them?”

 

“I do!” Mal recovered quickly and put on her happy face. Evie wondered if she was the only one who saw how fake it was.

 

The smile Mal got when she looked at the pictures, though, was a lot more natural. “Those are pretty cool.”

 

Belle extended the camera to Carlos. “Do you want a peek?”

 

He didn't move and Mal shook her head, giving them all a feral smile. “Bargecrasher.”

 

Evie didn't know what that meant, exactly, but it was clearly insulting. Carlos scowled and stepped forward to look. He didn't smile like Mal had, but he was obviously interested. “I can print some copies for you.”

 

“I'm going to assume that the tour is over, since the four of you are thundering around the hallway like some of Pride Rock's wildebeests. Come on and wash up for dinner.” Her father put a hand on her back gently. It meant he loved her, even if he didn't want to say it out loud and embarrass her in front of her friends.

 

She wouldn't have minded if he had. Jay was used to it, and it would be good for Carlos and Mal to see that it was normal and alright to show affection like that. She wasn't sure if it was sinking in or not, but at least she was trying.

 

It wasn't until she and Mal were in the bathroom washing their hands that she asked the question she had been dying to. “What, exactly, is a bargecrasher?”

 

Mal laughed, and it sounded like any other girl laughing. “It's a coward. Someone who's too weak to fight for what they want when the garbage barge shows up, so they spend all night sitting out waiting so they can crash it as soon as it gets there. Bargecrashing is for wimps.”

 

“Oh.” Evie had been anticipating something a little funnier. It was a funny term, one she could see herself using. But it hurt to be reminded that she had been raised in luxury while kids her own age were fighting over garbage. Her garbage.

 

Carlos and Mal weren't doing that any more. They were going to sit down at the table and enjoy a meal that had been chosen for them based on what they liked. The food would be fresh, and there would be plenty of it. If they ran out, the cooks would make more. There was no reason for them to worry.

 

But they would. Carlos was still occasionally stealing food, and Evie suspected Mal was as well. That fear of doing without was too deeply ingrained to be overcome so easily. But, then, it had taken 16 years for it to develop. Hopefully it wouldn't take so long for it to stop.

 

Her parents were already seated at the table, which was a sign that they could seat themselves as well. Mal immediately put her napkin in her lap and folded her hands primly. She knew what to do. Carlos focused intently on Jay, mimicking his every move. It was important to him to blend in and not draw too much attention from her parents.

 

“Welcome Carlos, it's lovely to have you join us. And, Mal, of course it's wonderful to have you back.” Her mother broke the ice with a beautiful smile.

 

“It's wonderful to be back.” Mal had learned the diplomatic game quickly, and her smile was every bit as lovely.

 

Carlos, of course, said nothing, nor did he smile. But he did raise one hand slightly in greeting, which they accepted.

 

The first course was fruit and cream instead of the usual salad. Mal squealed and started picking out the strawberries to eat first, while Carlos carefully tasted each one. He didn't seem to have a favorite fruit, though he made sure to get every little bit of cream out of his dish. .

 

One day, Evie hoped to be the diplomat her mother was. She watched in awe as Belle talked to Carlos, never making him feel trapped or forced, but not excluding him from the conversation, either. 0

1

It wasn't until the main dish, which was pasta tonight, that her patience paid off. She was talking to Carlos about Tourney and asking what his duties with the team were. Jay had been answering some of the questions, and Carlos had been signing in between bites. Finally, though, he got involved enough in what he was doing that he decided to be brave. “I aim the cannons, too.”

 

“He's good at it!” Pasta was one of Ben's favorite dishes, and he had been mostly quiet while he ate as much as possible.

A year ago, Evie would have tattled that Ben was talking with food in his mouth, but that was when she was a kid. Now she was a lady, and being a lady of the court meant knowing when to overlook some things, no matter how gross.

 

Jay held up his arm, which had a purple bruise on it. “He really is. I don't think we've ever moved so fast. I don't know how he does it.”

 

“Physics.” He was a little quieter now that he realized they were all listening to him. “It's easy.” He nervously shoved another bite of pasta in his mouth and looked down.

 

“See, Ben. All of this stuff that you're whining about learning has actual use.” Her father took a sip of his wine. “You need to step it up.”

 

“Carlos can help you.” Jay was already done with this pasta. “He's helping me with math, too. What about on Monday after practice?”  
  


As much as Evie adored her brothers, they were not subtle at all. Ben didn't get to spend much time with them any longer, and she had a feeling that there wasn't going to be much tutoring going on. Not that she could blame Jay for wanting to spend more time with Ben, who had been one of his best friends since they started school.

 

Normally, one or both of her parents would have picked up on that fact, but they were distracted tonight. No one wanted to be the one who turned what was shaping up to be a nice dinner into a disaster.

 

Because things were going pretty well. No one had gulped food or licked plates. Everyone had used their silverware appropriately. No one refused to eat the main course, swore, or called it gross, all of which had happened at previous meals. Everyone, even Carlos, was talking and participating. This meal was turning out to be a winner.

 

The only dark spot was Carlos getting lost, and even that hadn't been so bad. He hadn't panicked, and had been fortunate enough to stumble across Grandpere in his suite of rooms instead of being completely lost.

 

The two of them had really seemed to hit it off. Though that didn't come as much of a surprise. Both of them were into inventing things, though Carlos took the scientific approach, while her Grandpere just jumped in and hoped that no one was hurt in the inevitable explosion. They were both focused and bright, preferring working with things over people.

 

But there were differences, too. Her Grandpere was a jolly man who adored children. When she and Ben had been little, they had been fascinated by his work space, with all of the assorted junk. Wires, nuts and bolts, pipes, tools all the things that small children dreamed of. He had tried to get them interested in building and inventing and they grew older, but neither one had much aptitude for it.

 

Every birthday party the twins had featured favors that he had created for them and their friends. Little wooden birds that chirped when you pressed a button, bows and arrows, all kinds of things. Evie still had some of them, displayed on a shelf or hidden in a box in her closet.

 

She wondered, and not for the first time, what the future really held for Mal and Carlos. A year from now, five years, ten years, twenty? Where would they be, and how would they be doing? Would they be normal?

 

Doubtful. She could feel the first tendrils of attachment between the four of them, almost like it was a physical thing. She knew that Mal was attached to her, and that Carlos was attached to Jay. It might not have been healthy attachment yet, but it was there, tentative and damaged. She felt like Carlos was starting to bond with her, and he was definitely bonding with Roger and Anita. But where did that leave Mal? As much as Evie loved her, and she might love Evie back, it took more than one person to create healthy relationships. There had to be many people on the Isle who loved Mal, and whom she loved back. What would happen if the pull to return home was greater than the pull to remain here in Auradon?

 

She shoved another bite of food in her mouth, as if that would change her thoughts. She looked across the table at Mal, who was laughing at something her father had said. It was a natural sounding laugh, and her smile was sweet. But, if you knew Mal, you could see the underlying tension and falseness. Evie wanted to grab her and protect her from whatever was causing that shadowy look in her eyes.

 

But there was nothing she could do. Mal had hard choices to make, and Evie couldn't make them for her. But the upside was that her mother couldn't make them for her either. And with every day that passed, Maleficent's hold on her daughter weakened, and Auradon's hold grew stronger. She just hoped it was enough.

 

65656565656

 

“Only two more things need to be told. One is that Caspian and his men all came safely back to Ramandu's Island. And the three lords woke from their sleep. Caspian married Ramandu's daughter and they all reached Narnia in the end, and she became a great Queen and the mother and grandmother of great Kings. The other is that back in our own world, everyone soon started saying how Eustace had improved, and how 'you'd never know him for the same boy'. Everyone except Aunt Alberta, who said he had become very commonplace and tiresome and it must have been the influence of those Pevensie children.” Anita closed the book. “What did you think?”

 

That was a good question. Carlos liked it when Anita read to him, and he found the book interesting. But he didn't like it when the books made him think about other things, things that he wanted to forget.

 

He wondered what they people on the Island would think about him right now. Probably that he was commonplace and tiresome, just another Auradon kid. He wasn't one of them any longer, but he wasn't part of Auradon either. He was stuck in between, just like the kids in the book. They had belonged in one place, which was the same place Roger and Anita were from. Then they got taken away to another place, that was cooler and better than London. They were treated like royalty, and had everything they wanted. But they had to go back to their own lives every time, until, eventually, they couldn't go back to Narnia at all.

 

That was why he had to help Mal, even though he didn't really want to. Because they would eventually get sick of him here, or he would break some rule, and they would send him back to the Isle. And when they did, his life would be forfeit. Cruella wouldn't take him back, and he had left enough people angry with him over undelivered merchandise that he would be looking over his shoulder for the rest of his life.

 

Fuck that. Hr would have a better chance in Auradon, even if the villains from the Island were here. More places to hide, more resources to go around, more people for them to fight with, including those who had caused them to be imprisoned in the first place. Hopefully one sixteen year old boy would be deemed beneath their notice until he could redeem himself in their eyes.

 

“Carlos? Did you like it better or worse than the last one?” Anita put her arm around his shoulders, pulling him closer to her.

 

“Better.” Just because he didn't like something, that didn't mean it was automatically bad. The story had been fine, and he had enjoyed sitting on the couch with Anita, instead of on the floor, so he could read the words alongside her. Sometimes she would even make hims cocoa, which was like chocolate in a cup. It was delicious.

 

“I'm glad. So, there's something I wanted to talk to you about. I have an appointment to have my hair done tomorrow at 10. Of course, you're welcome to come along with me, but if you don't want to, Roger will be staying home and doing some work on the farm. You can stay with him as well.”

 

There was some definite bullshit happening right now. Carlos might not know a lot about certain things, but he could spot a lie miles away. Anita wanted something, but he didn't know what it was. Did she want him to come with her so they could do his hair, too? It was starting to get longish, but it was nowhere near as long as Jay's was, so it wasn't like there was some rule here against boys having long hair.

 

He didn't really want to go to the hairdresser with her. He had done Cruella's hair for as long as he could remember, to the point where he smelled burning hair in his dreams. Back home, he never used to have dreams, much less nightmares, but here he was dreaming almost every night. It was very....unsettling.

 

But was that what she was counting on? She was probably getting tired of him and his neediness, just like everyone else. Cruella hated him. Fairy Godmother couldn't wait to get rid of him. Even Evie was ignoring him because she was so busy with Mal doing lesbian stuff. He didn't really know what that stuff was, and he wasn't going to bother finding out, but it sure took a lot of time. The only ones who stuck around were Jay and Darling, which was weird, since neither one had any reason to do it.

 

“Stay with Roger and help him.” He rubbed at his eyes, which were all dry and stinging all of the sudden. He probably had allergies, like Jay did.

 

He had definitely been right about her not wanting him around, because she was relieved. He might not be the best at reading people (okay, he sucked at it), but he knew that when she breathed out loud enough for him to hear it, that meant she was relieved. So she really wanted to be rid of him for a while. Roger didn't spent as much time with him as she did, so he wasn't as bored with him.

 

“Okay You can always change your mind if you want.”

 

“I'm tired. I want to go to bed.” She was only saying that because she felt guilty. They were always feeling guilty about something here in Auradon.

 

Anita moved her hand to his forehead. “It's barely 9. Are you feeling alright?”

 

“Yeah. Just tired.” Even though she didn't really want him around right now, she had been nice to him so far, so he would start her break from him early.

 

“You're not too warm, but if you start feeling sick tonight, come get me or Roger, alright? I worry about you being all by yourself.”

 

“Okay.” He didn't know why she was so worried. He was sick all the time on the Isle, and both he and Mal had had several colds since they got here. It was because their immune system's just weren't used to the Auradon germs, so they caught everything. When he had colds, Anita hadn't done much but bring him tissues and soup, both of which he could get for himself.

 

Anita might be mad at him, but she still walked him to his room and tucked him in with a kiss. “You know I love you, right?”

 

Carlos nodded, because he knew that she expected him to. But he also knew that she didn't really. No one loved him really, not even his own flesh and blood. But that was okay. She liked him, and she was kind to him, even if she wanted a break from him right now. She didn't have to love him, and he didn't have to love her. Like was enough, especially when he really wasn't sure what love felt like.

 

It was hard for him to fall asleep, and he woke up several times, feeling anxious but not remembering his dreams or why. In the end, he took his blanket over to the rocking chair in the corner and curled up. He liked having a real bed instead of a mattress on the floor in a closet, but sometimes it made him feel more comfortable to have a smaller space, one he could curl up in. The steady rocking motion helped, too. Even if he didn't sleep, it did lull him into an almost hypnotized state that lasted until he heart Roger get up in the morning.

 

Even though they said that it was fine, Carlos didn't like leaving his room before either Roger or Anita was up. If something broke or went missing, he didn't want them to be able to blame him for it. They probably would anyway, though. Cruella always did.

 

“Hello, there. Can I get you something to eat?”

 

“Cereal, please.” Having choices was still weird to him, but not as weird as having someone actually get it for him, like he was a baby instead of a teenager.

 

“So, Anita says that we'll be having a boys day today while she gets her hair done. We have a few things to do on the property. If we pick some apples, Anita might make us a pie.”

 

Carlos nodded. He liked pie, and he liked helping out. “Okay.”

 

He was worried. Roger had that same tight look on his face that Anita had had last night. He was nervous about something, just like she was. Maybe they were going to tell him that he couldn't come back, and pie was supposed to be his consolation prize. Whatever. He didn't care.

 

His eyes stung again and his throat felt tight. Maybe he needed some medication to make his allergies go away. It was amazing what they had medicine for here on in Auradon, and how easily you could get it. You just had to walk into any store, and you could buy pretty much whatever you wanted. On the Isle, medicine was one of the things people fought for the hardest, because it was so rare to get.

 

Anita was rushed by the time she got up, so she barely said a word to either one of them. They both got a hurried kiss goodbye and she was out the door in a flurry of movement. Roger looked at him over the paper. “Why don't you go and get dressed while I finish my coffee. I thought we could have a talk while we got the apples.”

 

Shit. Talks were never good, which meant they were definitely ditching him. He nodded tightly and went upstairs to dress.

 

Several times during their walk, Roger started to say something and then stopped like he didn't know how to begin. Finally, he spit it out. “Carlos, your Mum...er, Anita.” He stopped to compose himself. “Anita thought that it might be time for us to have a man to man talk, since we know you haven't had it in school. You know, about the birds and the bees. Can you tell me what you know already?”

 

The only thing that Carlos knew about birds were that they tasted good if you could manage to catch them. Bees stung, but they also made honey. Tentatively, he laid his knowledge out for Roger.

 

“No, no, not actual birds and bees. That's just a euphemism. What I wanted to talk to you about is having relations.”

 

Carlos knew that he wasn't the best at reading emotions, either his own or someone elses. But even he recognized that Roger was embarrassed about something. What were relations? Like relatives? Or like a relationship? “What sort of relations?”

 

“Having sexual intercourse.” Roger finally blurted it out.

 

What was...oh! He got it. “Are you trying to ask me about fucking?”

 

Roger turned bright red. “Please don't call it fucking. That's a vulgar term.”

 

It had never occurred to Carlos that that might be a vulgar term. Everyone he knew called it 'fucking'. That was just what it was. But if Roger said that it was vulgar in Auradon, it probably was. “What should I call it?”

 

“Well, you can call it making love or having sex. Both of those would alright.” Roger's face was getting steadily redder. “Even having intercourse would be fine.”

 

Though he wasn't really sure what fucking had to do with love, Carlos nodded anyway. If it would make them happy and not want to get rid of him, he would call it whatever they wanted him to. “Okay.”

 

“From what you've said, I'm guessing you already know the mechanics of how sex works?” Roger looked like he would rather be anywhere but here, having this conversation.

 

“Yeah. I've seen it lots of times.” The fact that Roger was embarrassed about this made him think that he should be embarrassed, too, even though he wasn't. Fucking was natural. People did it, animals did it, probably even bugs did it. It was the only way to make babies.

 

“You've.... _seen_ it? You've seen two people making love? In real life, not just on a computer?”

 

Why would he see people fucking on a computer? That was just stupid. “Yeah. It happened in the market all the time.”

 

“I see. And how old were you the first time you saw that?” Now Roger looked less embarrassed and more green, like he was sick or something.

 

It was hard to answer a question like that, because time was fluid on the Isle. No one celebrated holidays or birthdays (at least Cruella didn't), so it was hard to mark the passage of time in months or years. But he had a good memory, and he could usually narrow things down. Let's see, it had been in the summer, the same one that he had started going to the marketplace alone so he must have been....”Six or seven.”

 

“Six or seven.” Roger repeated the words like he couldn't believe them. “And you'd already seen....” He cut himself off. “Well, you know how sex works. Do you know why people have sex?”

 

“Because they're biologically designed to and it must feel good. Or for money.”

 

“Do you think they ever do it just because they love each other?”

 

Honestly, he had never really thought about it. “Is that why you and Anita have sex? Because you love each other? It's not to make a baby, or you would already have one. Then you wouldn't need to take me.” That added a dimension to the act that he had never thought of. Of course, until he ended up in Auradon, he had never known anyone who claimed to love someone, either.

 

“That isn't really an appropriate thing for us to talk about. And we would have taken you regardless of whether or not we had a child of our own. We would have taken you if you had arrived 16 years ago, and Anita was the one to go and get you a few months ago.”

 

“But.” His voice broke and he had to clear his throat a few times before he could keep going. His voice was getting stronger, but he wasn't used to talking this much at once. “You were going to ask if I ever had sex next.” It was a logical conclusion based on the line Roger's questioning had taken so far.

 

“A parent or guardian asking a child about their sexual experience is one thing. You need guidance and correct information to help you make good choices for yourself and your partner. Once you become an adult, you already have that information, and sexual matters become between you and whomever you choose to be with, and thus private.”

 

That didn't seem right to him. If Roger was allowed to ask him questions, why wasn't he allowed to ask Roger questions? He though that was how a conversation was supposed to work. Whatever, he would just ask Anita later. “Okay.”

 

“Alright. Now that we've established that you know what the act is, I want to know if you know about protection?”

 

'Have a knife.” It was small, but it was the only thing he had been able to get. They had taken his first knife away, but he had stolen this while he was enjoying being on his own. No one had searched his pockets this time, and he had taken advantage to smuggle in the blade.

 

Roger rubbed at his temples, like he was starting to get a headache. “Not that sort of protection. I meant a condom.”

 

“Don't know what that is.” He had learned about quite a few new weapons since he had arrived in Auradon. It was one area where he was always interested in expanding his knowledge.

 

“It's a....you know, lets hold off on that one for the moment. One of the reasons we're having this talk. Anita was worried that you would want to move too quickly with your girlfriend. I didn't know if you had a girlfriend at all.”

 

“No. And I don't want one.” Maybe if he made that clear, they could quit talking.

 

“I see. Is it that you would rather have a boyfriend? Because there is nothing wrong with that.”

 

He was missing the point. “I don't want a boyfriend or a girlfriend. Sex makes you stupid and I'm never having it, and there's no other reason to have a boyfriend or girlfriend.”

 

“Do you think Anita and I are stupid? Or your teachers? Or Fairy Godmother? Well, you probably do think that Fairy Godmother is stupid, but still. Who told you that sex would make you stupid?”  
  


He had a point. Carlos definitely didn't think that Roger and Anita were stupid. “The women at the dock. They fucked....” Wait, don't say that. “They had sexual intercourse with men all day for money and they said that a man gets stupid when his dick gets hard.”

 

“Okay.” Roger blew out a long, slow, breath. “That isn't true. If you love someone, it will only make you smarter and stronger, because you'll want to do whatever it takes to keep them happy and safe. You want to be with them all the time, and you want to be the best person you can be, because you want them to see you in the best possible light. Can you think of anyone that makes you feel that way?”  
  


Not really. There were really only three people in the world that he wanted to impress, and that was Anita, Roger, and Jay. And Anita and Roger were old and had each other anyway. And Jay was...well, he didn't know what to feel about Jay. He supposed that he really wanted to make Jay happy and impress him but not because he wanted to fuck him. It was just because....just because. He would have to think about that later tonight. “No one makes me feel that way.”

 

“Someday, someone will. And when that happens, I want you to know that you can always come to Anita and I for help.”

 

“I don't want to feel that way about anyone.” He couldn't deny that it seemed to work for Roger and Anita, but it wouldn't work for him. People got sick of him really fast. “Can we go back to the house now? I don't want to talk about this any more.”

 

“Of course. We'll have another talk later, but, for now, that was a good job. I appreciate you being honest with me.”

 

Anita was already home when they got back with the apples, so he raced to her before Roger could say anything. “Do you have sex with Roger because you love him?” He had to know if it was true. If it was, he had a lot of reevaluating to do. That shouldn't surprise him, though, since had had to do a lot of that since he arrived here.

 

“Of course I do. But it's not really appropriate for us to discuss that. What happens between a person and their partner is very private.”

 

“Okay, sorry.” It didn't matter now, since he had already gotten the information he wanted. He had no further need to think about the two of them having sex. In fact, he was grossed out by the thought in a way he had never been disgusted by sex before.

 

“Can I help you make the pie?” At home, Cruella sometimes liked him (or at least left him alone) if he could make himself useful. Maybe he could make that work with Anita, too. They didn't seem stressed or nervous any more, and he hadn't gotten kicked out of the house yet, so maybe he could still fix things. “I can cook, I promise.”

 

“Of course you can. Wash your hands and we'll get started.”

 

Whew. Anita was cheerful and happy again, which meant he was probably safe for now. He just had to keep on being helpful, until Mal could get the wand. Once that happened, they would understand that he had made sacrifices and worked with someone he hated, just to keep them safe. They might still get rid of him, but at least they would be alright in the long run, and so would Jay. He might not be as safe, but that was fine. He didn't actually need any of them, including Mal, to survive. He was doing just fine on his own. Evil knew, he had done it on his own for his entire life so far. He didn't need anyone.

 

 

 

 


	24. Chapter 24

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know that it's been forever, and I apologize. I unexpectedly (as in got a call from the cops at 2am one night) took temporary custody of my young niece and newphews. Going from a single woman to parenting kids with no experience is hard, and not exactly conducive to writing. Things have settled and the kids are not with me any longer, so things should go more smoothly.  
> At the risk of sounding like an after schools special. Don't do drugs. Especially if you have little kids in the picture. Because you will screw up, and someone who is unprepared is going to be rearranging their life for the terrified kids that you drug into this mess, and who are not at fault for any of it. If you want to destroy your own life, that's your choice, but think about those kids.

Our society finds truth too strong a medicine to digest undiluted. In it’s purest form, truth in not a polite tap on the shoulder. It is a howling reproach.- Ted Koppel

“Can you hurry up? For Evil's sake, Lady Tremaine moves faster then you do, and she's ancient!” Mal was trying her best to remain patient, but Carlos was being so fucking slow! Every line was straight, each angle perfect. Every few seconds, he would place two fingers down, using them to keep the scale of the drawing correct. She would bet money that the original blueprints of the castle weren't this fucking precise.

Carlos stopped what he was doing and sat back, nudging the paper towards her before crossing his arms over his chest and glaring. He didn't need speech to make himself clear. We do it my way, or we don't do it at all. If you don't like it, there's the door.

It was times like now that Mal seriously reconsidered her promise to keep Carlos and his loved ones safe. He was being a little shit right now, just because he could. If he wouldn't acknowledge her authority now, when they were face to face and she had the best opportunities to intimidate him, what hope would she have of getting him to do so in the future? 

She had tipped her hand too soon, she saw that now. By giving her word that his family would be safe, she lost her hold on him. Carlos would deliver, of course, as it was the terms that he had agreed to, but he wasn't going to make it easy for her. Mal forced herself to speak calmly. Carlos didn't read faces very well, so she could look as bitchy as she wanted, but he was quite good at picking up on vocal cues. “Fine. Do it your way. But we don't have very much time left before Jay and Evie get back.”

Supposedly, Carlos was working with Mal on her math homework. What had actually happened was he spent five minutes doing the work himself and tossed it back at her. She hadn't actually learned anything, but who cared? With coronation drawing closer and closer, she wasn't going to be at this school for much longer anyway. 

Neither Evie nor Jay had been happy about leaving them alone together, but Mal had been insistent. She couldn't learn when they were around. Carlos got too distracted by Jay, and how could she be expected to focus with Evie's beauty surrounding her? Jay had almost barfed at that, and Carlos had pretended to gag himself, but fuck both of them. Evie had been pleased, and that was what mattered. 

And it was true, too. As more and more time went by, Mal found herself growing ever more fond of her blue haired princess. She wouldn't call it love, because Mal was better than that, but she would be quite sad to lose Evie at this point. She had come to rely on Evie, almost as if Evie was a part of her own body. If Evie couldn't be convinced to go along with her plan....well, she wouldn't think like that. Evie would go along with things. Once Mal explained to her that this had to happen, and that it was really in Evie's own best interest, the other girl would come around. She had to.

Because Mal was no fool. She hadn't even been through with her first dinner with the royal family before she was able to see that Evie would make a better ruler than any of the rest of them. Certainly a better ruler than the current king, who believed that all citizens of his Kingdom were equal. It was just that some of them were more equal than others. She had read that in a book for one of her classes, and it was going to be one of her new mottoes. King Adam might pay lip service to protecting all of his people equally, but they all knew that was bullshit. He was more than willing to reduce a substantial portion of his people to living in squalor and off of other people's garbage. Worse, he had allowed them to breed and create more children. Innocent children, just like the ones born in Auradon. Equal to them in every way. Except the Auradon children were just a little more equal.

Even his attempt at stealing the children was further proof of his weakness. Instead of demanding that the villains surrender their spawn, or even being willing to fight for them, he had taken the cowards way out, and attacked when their backs were turned. The people of the Isle were already at a disadvantage in every way possible, but that hadn't been enough for him. He had to ensure that there was no chance of any of them getting to keep their children, no matter how badly they wanted them. And he would do it all with zero risk to his own army. 

So he had ambushed them in the middle of the night, using the magic that had long since been forbidden to the residents of the Isle of the Lost. She had no memory of it, of course, but she had heard about it dozens, if not hundreds, of times in the years since. The daring raid was played over and over on the two Auradon channels that their TV could sometimes pick up. Movies were made about it, in which the hero Auradon army swooped in, snatching the helpless babies away from their sinister parents. They always left out the parts where babies were ripped from their parents arms, or the years spent wondering if their children were even still alive, or if they had been dropped into the ocean or sold for their organs

On the anniversary each year, while Maleficent was treating herself to a few drinks and preening over her cleverness in keeping her daughter, Mal would sit and watch the coverage of the event, thinking about how her life could have been different if her mother had been just a few minutes slower in casting the glamour. When she was a little girl, she had been jealous. Auradon girls didn't have to fight for food or avoid creepy men in the market. They had pretty dresses and dolls and even candy whenever they wanted it. Mal desperately wanted to be able to try candy, even if it was only once.

As she got older, she better understood what had happened that night, and was actually grateful (not that she would ever tell her mother that) that she hadn't been stolen with the rest. She might not have the dresses, or the dolls, or even enough food, but she did have the freedom that the Auradon kids lacked. And she might be a scoundrel, evil, and a nasty little girl, but at least she wasn't a hypocrite. She might steal and then pat herself on the back for it, but she didn't deny what she had done. The good people of Auradon had stolen living children from their own homes, and had not only been proud of what they did, but had actually convinced everyone, even themselves, that they had done a good thing instead of an evil one. Their lack of self-awareness was stunning. 

Mal herself had only been protected by her mother's quick thinking and ability to grab onto the tendrils of magic that the hole in the barrier let through. How Carlos had been overlooked was a bit more of a mystery. It wasn't due to magic, and it certainly wasn't due to love. But there he was, just like her. One of the less equal children.

“I just don't want us to get caught. Unless you feel like explaining this entire thing to Jay.” She did her best to sound contrite. Carlos gave an irritated grunt, but he picked the paper back up and returned to mapping out her escape route. He made weird grumbling noises while he worked, so low that she could barely hear them. 

Once she was satisfied that he was refocused on the task in front of him, Mal returned to her musings. One of the problems with having a weak King was that he was unable to raise a strong Prince. Ben was already showing that he was too gentle and soft to be a good ruler. He saw the good in everyone, and seemed incapable of realizing just how many people would turn that trait against him. He treated both her and Carlos as if they were ordinary 16 year old kids, rather then recognizing them as the danger they really were. Auradon would be in ruins, and he was going to be left wondering how it had happened.

That wasn't to say that he didn't seem to be a nice person. He seemed to be a nice, boring, Auradon guy, who would grow up and marry a nice, boring, girl, and have a few boring kids. He would be a good husband and a doting father. It seemed to be an average, even desirable life here in Auradon.

But that wasn't the life he was going to have. He was going to be the King, and he needed to be more than a typical husband and father. He needed to have the strength, and even sometimes the cruelty, to make the decisions that were best for the country, whether they were best of individual people or not. Ben was too much of a people pleaser to do it. His every emotion was written on his face, so clearly that he might as well have just spoken out loud. 

Mal had noticed that the kids here at Auradon Prep were more childlike than either her or Carlos. They relied on the adults around them for help, no matter what the problem. On the Isle, Mal had been expected to be silent and self-reliant from the moment she was physically capable. She cooked for herself, cleaned for herself, taught herself, and cared for her own injuries, most of which could be attributed to the boy in front of her.

Here they had people to do all of that for them. Cooks made their food. Housekeeping cleaned up after them, no matter how dirty she made their room. Teachers taught them, and not just one teacher either. They had a special teacher for every single subject. The school had a nurse, and there was an actual hospital if they needed more care. They even had a doctor who was there for nothing but your mind. 

When Mal watched the boys play Tourney, she saw them finally learning some skills. How to think on their feet. How to take down an opponent. How to utilize a weapon and fight against more than one enemy at the same time.

But it was still presented as a child's game, not something that could benefit them in the future. It was like the adults here were willing to do anything to prevent their children from growing up and realizing there was a much tougher world out there.

It wasn't that she didn't see the same thing in Evie. Her Princess was soft, just like the others. She had some understanding that there was a world beyond Auradon, but knew nothing of the world of the Isle, just a few miles from the castle. Her parents had been determined to hide things from her and keep her a little girl, just like the rest of them.

But Evie had something the rest of them didn't. She had been clever enough to uncover some of those family secrets, and had felt the string that betrayal brought. That anger had caused a rift between Evie and her family, and Mal was more than willing to exploit that. A rift could become a gaping chasm if you knew what to do about it. 

There was also a strength to Evie that she didn't see in the others. She was far more observant then her peers, and wasn't afraid to call people out on their bullshit. Of the members of the Royal Family, Evie was the one that showed the most potential as far as leadership skills. It didn't hurt that she was stunningly beautiful as well.

When it came to picking leaders, Mal much preferred the Isle system. While people came in with the strength or weakness or their own reputations, you couldn't make it on reputation alone. You had be be willing to fight and get your hands dirty. You had to know who to ally with, and who to dismiss. You couldn't please everyone, so it wasn't worth it to try.

Ironically, Evie's diplomatic training had given her an eye for doing all of those things. Give her some training and pop a knife in that girls hand, and she would make herself an excellent contender for a good position on the Island.

Maleficent ruled the Island based on her skills, not her reputation. Even then, there were always people willing to challenge her, which was as it should be. Competition kept her strong and sharp. Without they would end up like....well, like leadership in Auradon.

Carlos tapped his fingers on the desk, making her jump and drawing her attention back to him. “Are you finally finished?”

He nodded and turned the paper back to her. “To get to the back, you go this way. The front, this way. Once you're out of the castle, you're on your own.”

Oh, so today would be one of the days when he chose to speak to her? “How would you do it? There's going to be fewer people in the back, but I'll have to get around to the front to make it to the water anyway. I just don't know if I can push through the crowds fast enough if I use the front.”

“Not my problem.” He leaned back, cocking his head as he listened to something outside of their door. “They're back.”

Sometimes Mal suspected that he had the acute hearing of the dogs that his mother was so obsessed with. He certainly had the spots. Because, sure enough, the door handle was turning and Jay and Evie stepped back in. Smoothly, she swept the blueprint off the desk and into her bag. “Well, hello. What did you two get up to while we were working?”

“Not much. Just spent some time together.” Evie leaned down to give Mal a kiss. “How did you do?”

“Fine. I got all of my work done and I feel confident about it. But I think we've had about enough of each other.” Across the table, Carlos nodded.

“What do you want to do, Pup?” Jay slid his hand under Carlos' chin and pulled his head back so they were face to face.

If anyone else had done that to Carlos, or Mal herself for that matter, there would have been a bloodbath. Holding someone's head like that was dangerous. If Jay jerked his hand back sharply, he could break Carlos' neck. Not that Mal would have cried over that happening, but she still might need him for something.

But Carlos didn't seem bothered at all. He watched Jay calmly and blinked. “Whatever.” 

 

“How about some video games?” Jay grinned and Carlos smiled back. For fucks sake, those two just needed to screw already. They were beyond nauseating.

The boys said their goodbyes and left, Jay's hand on Carlos' back. Hopefully he would guide him right into bed.

Once they were gone, Evie leaned down to give Mal a longer, more serious kiss. This right here was why Mal knew that Evie would eventually come over to her side. Love was the original magic, and Evie was definitely feeling it. Mal just had to be careful not to fall into the same trap. Adoration and desire were enough, and more than she had ever felt for anyone else. Evie was going to be hers, no matter what happened from here on out.

Evie pulled away. “Can we talk about something?”

“Can we not? Can't we just have fun together?” Everyone talked too much here. They wanted to talk about feelings and schedules, and what dress to wear. Why couldn't they just take a little time to enjoy the moment as it was happening?

“We can have fun in a minute. This is important.”

Mal propped herself up on an elbow. Whatever the problem was, she was confident in her ability to solve it. She was, after all, the daughter of Maleficent herself. She was capable of anything. “Ok, what's going on?”

“How long are we going to wait before we tell people about us?”

Shit. Mal had been hoping to keep it a secret until after the coronation went down. Shame had nothing to do with it. Indeed, Mal was proud of her Princess and would have no issue with outing the both of them. There was only one problem. If it came out that Mal was dating the Princess, she could kiss her privacy goodbye. Her every step, every facial expression would be noted and analyzed to death. She was already drawing too much attention based on where she had come from. Any more and she was doomed.

She wasn't going to tell Evie that, though. “Who do you want to tell? I'm already a freak at school because I came from the Island. I don't want them to have anything else to tease me about.”

“Who teased you?” Evie looked deeply into her eyes, trying to determine if Mal was lying or not. 

Time to back up. “No one in particular. I just hear the rumors floating around, and I don't want to give them more ammunition. Can't we just wait a little longer?”

Evie sighed, and the disappointment in her face made Mal want to change her mind and say that it was fine. This was what having a girlfriend did to you. It made you second guess yourself. “Can we just tell a few people?”

“Like who? Jay and Carlos already know, and so does Ben. Who else do you want to tell?” Maybe she could still wiggle out of this.

“I....I want to tell my Mom.” Evie looked down, but not before Mal saw the tears in her eyes. “I've never lied to her before, and I don't like doing it now.”

“She's lied to you. And you're not lying anyway. You're just.....not revealing the entire truth. There's a difference.”

“No, there isn't. A lie of omission is still a lie.”

Fuck, she wasn't going to let this one go, was she? Mal's mind spun as she tried to figure out how to get herself out of this one. “It's not a lie. Think of it as being diplomatic. You don't reveal what you know until the best possible moment. Your mother is trying to get ready for Ben's coronation and all of that crap. You and I deserve her full attention when we come out, and Ben needs her full attention right now, and it's not fair to her to have to split her time up like that.”

Evie blinked and physically pulled herself together. “I'm starting to think that you know a lot more about diplomacy than I do. You certainly know how to sell snake oil.”

Mal wanted to ask what snake oil was, but thought better of it. She knew that she had Evie about to agree with her, and she didn't want to risk spoiling that. She reached out and put her hand on Evie's face. “I do want your mom to know about us, I promise. I don't want to keep us a secret forever.”

Just until it all went down at coronation, but she wasn't going to reveal that. Belle would see Mal with her daughter as they were standing above the rubble, the Queens of the New Auradon State. What would happen to the former Queen from that point depended largely on the woman's own reactions.

It also depended largely on Maleficent's reactions, but Mal tried not to think too much about that. She was confident of her ability to protect Evie, and Maleficent would understand and honor the deal she had struck with Carlos, but the rest of them....well, she would cross that bridge when she came to it. 

“You know I love you, right?” Evie rested her hand on tops of Mal's own, and Mal knew that they could both feel the electricity that thrummed between them.

“I know.”

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. “Stretch. Why aren't you stretching? You and I both know you can do this, so get on with it!” For such a little girl, Lia was tough as nails. She pressed her hands down on his back, pushing him further forward. 

Carlos grumbled under his breath, but he allowed it. There was a very small number of people who he allowed to touch him, but he would allow it from Lia. She was touching him because she was trying to make him stronger and more flexible. It would only help him move better in the future, so he had to at least tolerate it. 

The burn started along his thighs and up his lower back, telling him that his muscles were stretching and growing strong. Good. Carlos knew that he wasn't as strong as he had been on the Isle.   
There he had roamed for miles every day, running, jumping, climbing, and doing whatever else it took to get himself where he needed to be. Not to mention all the chores he had to take care of at home. Nothing built muscles like scrubbing every inch of Hell Hall nearly every day. 

He had been too thin then, but what he did have was solid muscle. Now he was taller and had filled out, but he wasn't keeping up with exercise, and it showed. There was so much food available here, and there were things that he had never tried before, like chocolate and soda that were terrible for him, but he couldn't resist. He wasn't heavy by any stretch of the imagination, but he knew that he had lost muscle as he gained weight. Without more exercise, he wasn't going to be able to defend himself. 

“Ok, good job. Toe touches and then you're ready to go.”

That was something he could do well, so Carlos leaned forward until his forehead was against his shins. Hold for 10 seconds and he was done. Back home, he had never stretched before he did anything and he had been just fine. But he had to do it here, because they kept saying it was healthier. It probably was. The people here knew a lot of things about heath that they didn't on the Island.

Today was an exciting day, even though he wasn't going to show it. Today they were actually getting their music, instead of just learning their dance on the beats. Learning it on the beats did teach them better, but it just wasn't very fun. He knew that he was technically correct, but until he heard the music, he just felt like he was going through the motions. Hearing the music made his body come alive. 

“I need group 1 in the back right, Group 2 in the back left...” Carlos was group 2, so he tuned out the rest of Lia's words. He was in group with another boy and two girls. They quickly assumed their places within the group and waited. 

Lia gave everyone a quick look and frowned. “Carlos, stand back to back with Navi. I want to see something.”

He was puzzled, but obeyed the request. Lia came over and studied them. “Switch places. Navi, Carlos is taller than you are.”

That was shocking. He had always been small and wiry, though 'scrawny' might have been a more accurate term. To hear that he was now taller than an actual Auradon kid must mean that he was doing something right.

He and Navi changed places quickly and got ready. Lia hadn't played the music for them since the first day, when it was assigned. He was confident that all of them had it down, though. They could do this.

It was still strange to him, though. Carlos had never been a part of a team in his life. Shit, until he was six years old, he hadn't even seen a person who wasn't Cruella or Darling. Even when he was allowed to go out to the marketplace, it was every man for himself. He had heard of some alliances, but that wasn't really a team. It was just using the same people over again instead of using different ones. 

He and Jay and Evie and Mal were kind of a team, he guessed, but not really. The dance team looked out for each other. He still wasn't comfortable talking to any of them, but they included him in what they were doing. If he seemed thirsty or too hot, someone was sure to let Lia know so he could have a break. On the one hand, it was kind of weird that they were watching him closely enough that they recognized what he needed. On the other, it was kind of nice, the way it was when Jay noticed things. Except maybe a little different in a way he couldn't quite put his finger on.

He and Jay were a team. He and Mal were definitely not. They both knew that they had to put up with each other for Evie and Jay's sake. But, beyond that, they wanted nothing to do with each other. They had an agreement, and they would both honor it and never speak again. Evie was the one he wasn't too sure about. She obviously liked him, and he really liked her, too. She always made sure that he was comfortable and had what he needed. She didn't tell anyone that he could talk, even though she could have. He had already figured out that a pinky promise was just a promise, not a spell. But he wouldn't tell her secret either. Fair was fair, after all.

But Evie was on Mal's team. If she had to choose between Carlos and Mal, she would choose Mal without hesitation. That made her dangerous and not really part of his team. Or maybe she was, but not like Jay was. He and Jay were the main part, though, just like Evie and Mal were the main part of their team. But maybe they were like two little teams inside of one bigger one? Did that exist?

“Get with it DeVil.” Somebody shoved his shoulder. “She's getting ready to start.”

Oh, right. Carlos cocked his head as the heavy beat started. One and two and three and-GO!

They Say I'm Trouble  
They Say I'm Bad  
They Say I'm Evil  
And That Makes me Glad

Even though he strongly suspected that this song hadn't even been on the radar before he showed up, but he was fine with it. It was a catchy song, and more of the hard hitting dancing that he was used to then the soft, pretty, things they used for other songs. This was fun.

Carlos knew full well that he was a mess. When he panicked, his brain shut off and his body moved without his permission. When he dreamed, his brain went haywire and his body refused to obey. More than once he had woken up paralyzed, not even able to cry for help.   
.  
Most of the time things weren't that extreme, but he always had a sense that his he wasn't put together right. He had all the parts but, somehow he was put into his skin sideways. Everyone else seemed to feel like their body belonged to them, but Carlos never did.

Well, almost never. When he was dancing, it all seemed to fall into place. He learned the moves quickly and easily, and he was even picking up partner work here. The only other thing that made him feel like that was when he was hanging out with Jay and playing video games or doing homework. Something that allowed him to be close. Jay was comfortable in his body, and maybe that sent some sort of pheromones or something that calmed him.

A Dirty No-Good  
Down to the Bone  
Your Worst Nightmare  
Can't take me home

Harriet rolled smoothly over his back and into his arms. He caught her and spun her away before bringing her back to his body. He had practiced this a dozen times, and carried it off as if it was second nature. She leapt away, giving him enough room to do a back handspring. That was a little trickier, since he no only had to be in perfect sync with the other guys, but swing between two of the girls on the way. He had to be very precise to avoid kicking anyone. On his left, he saw Jonas swing too wide, and they both stumbled a little at the landing. They both recovered quickly and kept on. The worst thing they could do was stop.

So I've Got Some Mischief  
In My Blood  
Can You Blame Me?  
I Never Got No Love

The beat was picking up now, and he had to concentrate harder to keep up. His favorite part was the chorus, and they had to be in exactly the right places or someone was getting punched or nailed with an elbow. He had had enough of being punched in his lifetime, thank you very much. Oh, here it came! Carlos drew his arm back, getting ready for the moment.

I'm Rotten to the Core, Core  
Rotten to the Core  
I'm Rotten to the Core, Core  
Who Could Ask For More?

I'm Nothing Like the Kid, Kid  
Like the Kid Next Door  
I'm Rotten to the, I'm Rotten to the  
I'm Rotten to the Core

There were two more verses, but the choreography wasn't that different between them. This time Jonas kept was steadier, and the handsprings went smoother. Harriet was a good partner, and she was surprisingly trusting with someone she had never worked with before. They remained strong to the end finishing with a flourish. 

Lia turned the music off and fixed them all with a dirty look. “I expected better, guys. Jonas, keep on your own line before you run into Carlos and both get hurt. Dizzy, you were a beat behind on the chorus both times. Carlos, Harriet, Freddie, you all did a good job. Next time, though. I want it to be perfect. Practice, practice, practice, with your partner and without. Now split up and get to the barre. I”m not impressed with the flexibility I'm seeing.”

Carlos bit back a groan. The Tourney team liked to complain about how hard they had to work. They had to run laps and dodge cannon balls, sometimes getting hit. Sometimes they spent the entire practice doing nothing but going over plays.

Please. Carlos ran laps, too, both with the Dance Team and the Tourney Team. Instead of dodging the cannon balls he had to dodge flying elbows, knees and feet. He was currently sporting bruises on this thigh, chest and upper arms from accidental kicks. It was just as much work as Tourney, maybe more. 

By the time Lia let them go, every muscle in his body hurt and he felt like throwing up. All he wanted to do was take a hot shower and lay in bed for about 10 hours. 

Jay was already in their room getting changed out of his Tourney uniform. “Hey, you're back! So, the team wants to do pizza. You up for it?”

'Pizza' had to be one of the most amazing words on the planet. It was hot and gooey and one of the few things that could get him back out of the dorm room tonight. “Yeah. I need a shower, though.”

“I didn't take one. But go ahead, we have some time before it delivers.”

It was hard to believe that the Auradon kids didn't take showers every single day. The water actually came out clear instead of rusty brown, and it was hot. Carlos had never had a hot shower in his life. Actually, he had never had a shower at all before coming here. When he was a baby, Darling would give him baths in the murky water of the sink, and he cleaned himself in the tub out back as he grew older. It was always dirty, always cold, and always miserable. The shower still amazed him so much that he sometimes used it twice in one day, just to enjoy the feeling of being completely clean.

The water had been too loud when he first arrived here, making his ears ring and blocking him from being able to hear what was around him. It was frightening to know that someone could sneak up on him and he wouldn't be able to see them coming. Now that he was used to it, he had less trouble hearing what was happening around himself, and could even hear Jay in the other room if he strained a little. 

It was a comfort to know that Jay was out there, waiting patiently for Carlos to be done. He wouldn't be left behind, even though they both knew that Carlos was more than capable of getting himself down to the study hall where they had their pizza parties. But it was still nice that Jay thought of him to-really? Oh, for Evil's sake! He glared down at his body. “Go away right now.” 

Naturally, his cock refused to listen. “We had a deal!” He kept his voice low, just in case Jay was listening to him as well. “You're reneging on me.”

It wasn't like he was ignorant of what was happening here. He knew what an erection meant, and he knew what his body wanted. But he and his body had long since had an agreement on that. Once every few days, in the shower only. That way his body got what it wanted and the mess was easily washed down the drain. Much better than on the Isle, where he had to find some way of cleaning things, not to mention having more than 5 minutes of guaranteed privacy from his mother. 

Necessity was the mother of invention at home, and that applied to the bizarre things his body did as well as the bizarre thing that he invented. Though his body had scared the crap out of him the first time he had an erection that didn't go away he had managed to get himself under control and look at things logically. Ok, his body had done something new and strange. How did he get things back to the way they should be?

It had taken some trial and error (not to mention some covert watching of the women at the docks when they were with their customers. One of them actually saw him and winked, which made him feel confused and vaguely ashamed. Not because of the sex, but because he been caught peeping. He hated being caught.) before he really understood what was happening. 

Once he got things figured out though, it was easy. Just do what the evil damned thing wanted and get it over with. Then he could get back to focusing on the important things in life, like food and avoiding his mother's anger.

It wasn't something painful, or even uncomfortable, but it wasn't something pleasurable either. It was just something that had to be done now that he was older, like shaving or washing more often. Normal (or maybe not so normal, who knew?) stuff for a teenager. 

He would have been fine with just leaving things the way they were, if he hadn't started listening to the rest of the Tourney Team talk. Despite Roger claiming that sexual things were private here, that didn't seem to be true. Or maybe it was true for old people, but he suspected that Roger wasn't used to taking all the variables into account. Age was a huge one, whether you were looking at people, animals or even plants and minerals. So what was normal for Roger and Anita turned out not to be for the Tourney Team.

Because they talked about sex a lot. Who was having it (not very many people, and Carlos strongly suspected some of those who claimed they were were lying.), who wasn't. Who had seen a naked girl that wasn't on a computer or in a movie and who hadn't. Roger said that sex was about love and showing that love, but it seemed like it was also about getting status among the other males. Interesting.

But not as interesting as them talking about touching themselves. They certainly didn't see it as just another thing to be done to keep their bodies healthy and functional. They talked about it like it was the most amazing thing that could possibly be done. And there were so many names for it! The science books said that it was masturbation and it was normal and healthy. But that's not what every one else said. They called it 'jerking off' and 'bleeding the weasel' and 'charming the cobra'. And those were just the ones that he had heard today. He was keeping a running list of them in one of his notebooks, the one he kept hidden from Jay. Not that he didn't think Jay could more than double it, but because he felt funny talking about that with the other boy.

“Please just go away.” He felt foolish even as he said it. Hadn't the damn thing already proven it wasn't going to listen to him today? “Fine, if we have to.”

Before he did anything, though, he double checked the door. He would be mortified if Jay walked in on him. So maybe Roger was a little right about this stuff being private. Once he was sure that he had enough privacy, he groaned and reached down. Fine, let's get this over with. He wrapped one hand around his cock and moved it gently.

If you believed the other guys, you were supposed to think about the girl you were hot for when you did it, but there weren't any girls that Carlos was interested in. So he just stared at the wall of the shower and let his mind wander. 

His breath stuttered a little as he tightened his hand. He might not have liked doing this, but his natural perfectionism had taken over, and he was bound and determined to make is as good as possible. Which still wasn't great, but whatever.

Trial and error had taught him what to do, and how to get this over with as fast as possible. He was fully hard now, and having to fight to keep himself quiet and under control. If he could hear Jay, there was a chance that Jay could hear him as well.

As soon as he thought of Jay, Carlos felt a sudden spark and his hips jerked forward. The pleasure was so sudden and fierce that he almost stopped what he was doing. Was this what it was supposed to feel like? If it was, he could see what the big deal was. 

Things were so rarely pleasurable to him that he didn't want to lose this moment. Before he could think about it, he focused on Jay's face in his mind and moved faster. “Shit.” It came out a breathy whisper.

He was breathing fast now, knowing he was close. This was so much better than usual, and he had to bite down on his lip to keep from groaning out loud. Heat pooled in his stomach and his legs tensed. He was whining now, and he didn't even care if Jay heard him. In fact, that would be better. Jay could come in here and-Fuck! Lightning raced up and down his spine, making his heart rate raise and his vision blur. His cock jerked in his hand before he came, the sensation more intense than it had ever been in the past. 

Carlos felt his knees give out and slammed a hand to the side of the shower to keep from falling. “Fuck. I mean...fuck.” 

Well, he had certainly been unfair to the act if this was the results it could produce. Suddenly, Carlos had a strong urge to repeat this experiment several more times. You know, just to account for any variables in the testing process. Without testing those, you weren't guaranteed accurate results, which made for poor scientific method. In fact, he was going to repeat the experiment right now-

“What are you doing in there, Pup! We're going to miss the good pizza and get stuck with just the veggie crap!” Jay pounded on the door. “Come on!”

Oops. It was ok to talk about...uh....charming the cobra in a group, but you didn't talk about it with just two guys. Even Carlos had picked up on that being weird. Suddenly shy, he tapped a few times on the wall, letting Jay know that he was fine.

“Ok, but hurry up!”

Since he wasn't going to have enough time for experimenting, Carlos turned off the water and wrapped a towel around himself. He had learned so many interesting things today. Very, very, interesting things.

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For Evil's sake, how long could someone spend in the shower? Well, Jay guessed it was a pretty long time, especially when Carlos was involved. That kid was just fascinated with having clean water at all, not to mention it actually being hot. Showers were every day with him, and he never had to be reminded like Jay occasionally did. His only quirk was that he would shower in their room only. The communal showers in the gymnasium absolutely disgusted him. Jay couldn't really blame him, since there had been more than one gross outbreak traced back to that locker room, but sometimes you just had to take your chances if you wanted a chance at the good pizza. Life was all about calculated risks.

The bathroom door opened up, and Carlos bounced out in a cloud of steam. “I'm ready!”

Well, wasn't he perky? Carlos was flushed and all but bouncing off the walls. He was even doing his full smile, instead of the nervous one that they usually saw. What sort of secret things was Carlos getting up to in there?

Gee, Jay. Wonder what sort of shower things could leave a guy in such a good mood? You ought to know what sort of secret things he's doing in there, considering that you do those same secret things twice a day. Imaging Carlos doing...that brought heat to Jay's face. Which was strange, since Chad talked about his masturbatory adventures all the time, but whatever. He would just pretend that it wasn't happening. “Cone on, then.”

Since they were already late, he grabbed Carlos by the wrist to steer him out the door and across the quad. If left to his own devices, Pup would take a circular route, remaining watchful the entire time. It was like he thought someone was following him or something. Jay supposed he could ask why Carlos did that, but he didn't really want to know. Every time he asked something directly, the answer broke his heart.

Even though Carlos had been in Auradon for a while now, he still attracted a lot of attention. Mal was good at pushing back with her glares and biting words. People still talked about her, but they were wise enough to do it out of her hearing range.

Carlos didn't have that same defense. While Mal's reaction was to attack, Carlos' was to retreat. He wasn't really even talking in front of other people, much less able to tell them off. It made people act like he was deaf and unable to hear what they said about him, a misconception that Carlos seemed to have zero desire to correct. Jay could have asked about that, but he didn't. Carlos had his secrets, same as anyone else.

“Hey, they're here!” Gil's voiced was unexpectedly loud, and Carlos jumped, stepping back into Jay. “I saved you some of the good pizza, since someone decided to try and eat it all before you got here!” He gave Harry a shove, nearly knocking the other boy over.

Harry and Gil always interested Jay. They had been taken as infants, each less than 4 months old. They had been raised in different families. They had had the same opportunities as any other child in Auradon. Yet, somehow, the pirate came out in both of them. Both of them had been able to swim before they could walk. By elementary school, they had built a working boat and managed to sail it almost all the way around one of the larger islands before they hit a reef and it sank. The next one didn't. Neither did the three that followed, each more elaborate then the last. The latest, which they were planning on using for their final grades could more rightly be called a ship than a boat. Their work had already caught the eye of the Naval Academy, and they both had full scholarships waiting for them when they graduated. Just this year, Uma had joined their crew, and now the three of them were seldom separated. There was no reason for any of them to have more than a casual interest in sailing or the water, but they did. Their parents had come out in them somehow.

It made Jay wonder about his own parents, and what traits might come out in him. He knew that he was a sweet-talker, and that he was quick with his hands, easily getting whatever it was he desired. His mother had been forced to drag him back to many stores when he was little, so he could apologize and return whatever the item he had snatched was. Did that make him like Jafar? Or was he more like Aladdin, who had been quite the charming thief when he was younger, too? 

Last year, he had taken a psychology class (more due to the fact that Evie was taking it and he wanted to be in her class than due to any actual interest, but, whatever). He had already forgotten a lot of it, but he hadn't forgotten about nature vs nurture. Basically, it meant that you had your nature, which was what was in your genes. You couldn't change it, no matter how hard you tried. You were born the way you were, and, while you could work on your response to whatever it was, you couldn't really change your first reaction. You were born with with your traits and talents and personality already decided for you. You just had to kind of go along with it. 

Then you had nurture. Nurture mean that everything about you came from your experiences after you were born. All babies were born....yeah, he couldn't really remember the term, but it meant you were like an empty book. The people around you, like your parents and your teaches and your friends helped fill the book up and make you who you were. You had complete control of your own destiny. 

So which was true? That had been the only part of the class that really interested Jay, because it was the part that applied to him and everyone else from the Isle. Who were they? Were they their first parents? Their adoptive parents? Both? Neither? 

Most of the time he thought that it was nurture. Maybe there were some things that were like Jafar, but they were like Aladdin, too. He would never try and kidnap a woman and make her his slave like Jafar did. He definitely didn't want to turn into a giant snake. He was pretty happy with thinking that nurture was what really mattered.

But then he looked at Harry and Gil and Uma and saw how they had been drawn to the water like moths to the flame. Their love t of the sea and all of the things surrounding it was their nature coming out, despite they way they had been raised. It wasn't that their parents had discouraged their interests, but they hadn't gone out of their way to encourage it either. 

It was kind of scary. Jay wanted to be good. He liked making people happy and his parents proud. He wanted to live a good life, and play Tourney, and eventually get married and have kids when he was old. Like 30 or something. But what if he turned out to be a lying, thieving, predator instead? It would be horrible.

When he had those thoughts, it helped to look at Carlos. Cruella had a bad nature to pass on to him, and his nurture had been pretty shitty, too. But he was ok. Well, maybe not really ok, but kind of. It was getting hard to remember how he had been when he first came, when he wouldn't come out from under the bed, and you couldn't touch him without him acting like you were going to beat the shit out of him. 

He didn't do that any more. He wanted to be out of his room and out on campus. Even though he was still quiet and didn't really want to be touched by people he didn't know well, he wanted to interact with them. He signed and gestured and was pretty good at making himself understood. 

Maybe it was nature and nurture, or maybe you could just kind of make it up as you went, like Carlos and Mal were doing. Neither one of had turned out evil, and if they hadn't, no one would.

Gil and Chad each brought over a plate loaded with pizza. It was almost a game now, to see just how much Carlos would be able to eat. Chad gave them both a funny look, and Jay realized that he was still holding Carlos by the hand. He dropped it quickly and gave Chad a a stare that just dared him to say something.. So what that he was holding Carlos' hand? There was nothing dirty about that. 

Wisely, Chad said nothing, but he smirked heavily in Jay's direction. “So, Spot, I got you some new stuff. This piece has bacon on it, and the white stuff on that one is Feta cheese. It's a love it or hate it sort of thing. Those are olives and the white things are mushrooms. You can try all of them. Jay, you can have his leftovers.”

“Real nice, Chad. So glad I roomed with you for all of those years.” Jay kept his tone light, but Carlos looked over nervously and offered him the plate so he could have first pick of the pieces. “It's fine, Pup. I don't mind eating a piece with a bite out of it.”

Carlos really liked the bacon, eating the entire piece and looking around for more. He also liked the feta cheese, which Jay couldn't stand. Faces were made at the mushroom pizza, and he rejected the olives entirely. Jay took the offending piece and chewed while Carlos headed over to find another more. Chad grinned. “That's three pieces down. I don't know how he does it.”

Because he had to. Because, no matter how much food he could see, it was hard to stop Carlos from gorging on as much as he could eat. A lot of his habits were greatly reduced or even gone, but it was going to take a long time for the food issue to go away, if it ever really did. But he wasn't going to say anything to violate Carlos' privacy. “I don't know how he does a lot of things he does.”

“It seems like the two of you are really close now. How is he in bed?” Chad laughed as he said it, but there was a genuine curiosity in his eyes.

“Chad!” Jay looked over, but Carlos was busy loading a plate and listening to various Tourney players and their conversations. Everyone on the team talked to him and no one excluded him or was mean to him. He sometimes even talked back to them. Not often, and only if it was one person, but it was something. “I'm not sleeping with him! Why would you even ask that when you know I'm not gay!”

“Is he?” There was no judgment, but the question made Jay bristle anyway.

“I don't know. We've never talked about it.” To be honest, Jay hadn't really thought about it either. Carlos had shown no interest in girls whatsoever. But he hadn't shown any interest in boys either. Though his non-sexual interest in either boys or girls was pretty low as well. “Why do you suddenly care who he likes? Are you interested in him?”

“Me? Nope. But other people might be. He's cute enough, and he seems to be pretty smart. That's attractive to a lot of people. Might be nice to know what he prefers.”

“Why don't you ask him? Since you're so curious.” Jay felt a little testy about it, even though a part of him was just as curious as Chad.

“Ok.” Chad pushed away from the wall and started forward, clearly intending to do just that. “Hey, Spot!”

Jay grabbed him by the arm and jerked him back. “Stop. Don't embarrass him. It's not your business who he likes or who he dates.”

“Really? Well, I have a feeling it will be soon.” He cut himself off as Carlos approached, holding a second plate filled with pizza. 

“What?” Carlos spoke a little louder than usual, his eyes focused on Chad. “You called me.”

Wisely, Chad chose not to follow through with his threat to ask Carlos about his sexuality. “I can't remember what I wanted. We missed you at practice today. Coach couldn't keep some of your plays straight.”

Carlos preened a little at the praise. While he still didn't care much about the opinions of anyone out of his circle, he was becoming more aware of what people within it thought about him, and showing at least a minor interest in pleasing them. In the past, his only interest in other people had been what he could get from them and use them for. “I had dance. I'll be there tomorrow.”

Chad went off into a long discourse about the play that had gotten messed up, trying to explain what had gone wrong. Carlos was talking back, but wound his fingers in the side of Jay's shirt, looking for reassurance. Jay put a hand on his back, just resting it there. 

Before the party was over, Carlos had broken his previous record by eating 8 pieces of pizza. “Dude, that's gross. You're probably going to puke tonight.”

“I never puke.” Carlos gave him a grin. 

“First time for everything.” Things were going well, but Jay recognized the signs that said Carlos was starting to get tired and overwhelmed. No one else seemed to get it, but Jay could easily read the tilt of his head and the tightness of his grip. “We're out guys! See you tomorrow at practice!”

Even though it wasn't that late, Carlos did his nightly clean of the room and tucked himself in. “You going to bed already?”

“Yeah. I'm tired.” 

“Are you sure it wasn't the pizza? Because 8 pieces is an entire pizza. 

“Not the pizza. I'm just... I've had enough of today.” He gave Jay a wan smile, but didn't elaborate further “You ok if I stay up longer?” It was about a 50-50 shot. Sometimes Carlos fell asleep and would sleep through a hurricane, and sometimes he jolted awake at every little noise and refused to settle. There was no in-between with him, but that was just par for the course.

Carlos waved him off and curled up. “It's fine. Goodnight.”

Since it was so early, Jay decided to put in a movie. He had just started when his phone chimed at him. WHAT ARE YOU DOING?

NOTHING. C SLEEPING. WATCHING MOVIE

COME OVER?

OK

He turned the movie off and stood up. “Pup? You awake?” He kept his voice pitched low, just in case.

Carlos didn't reply, but Jay could tell he was still awake. But Jay let him pretend anyway, so he dropped his voice further. “OK, I don't want to wake you. I'm going to go over to Evie's room for a little bit, but I'll leave a note in case you wake up.”

He followed through, feeling stupid even when he did it. He had seen the twitch in Carlos' arm, so he knew that he had been heard. If he had learned anything over the past few weeks, though, it was that if you said something to Carlos, you better follow through. His trust was hard earned and easily lost.

Evie was waiting for him, sprawled out on her bed and watching some designing show that she muted as soon as she saw him. “Jay!”

It didn't matter if it had been hours or weeks, Evie always greeted him with the same enthusiasm. “ What's up, Princess? Hey, where's your purple half?”

Her eyes immediately went dark and troubled. “Lessons with Fairy Godmother.”

“Pup's in bed already.”

“Is he sick?” Evie looked at her watch. “It's not even 9.”

“He said he isn't. I think he's just had a long day. Too many people around.”

She picked at the blanket on her bed. “Yeah.....that's kind of what I wanted to talk to you about.”

“About Carlos' sleeping habits?” Jay thought that they were pretty normal. Sometimes he slept more, and sometimes he wanted a nap in the middle of the day. Not that different than Jay himself.

“No, not his sleeping stuff. It's him and Mal in general. I feel like....” She paused, trying to get her word together. “I feel like they're hiding something from us.”

“Together?” He wouldn't say it out loud, but that had to be the dumbest thing Jay had ever heard. Mal and Carlos weren't plotting anything together. For Goodness sake, they could barely be in the same room without bloodshed. Earlier today had been the first time anyone had felt comfortable leaving them alone together, and even then, it had been nerve-wracking for both him and Evie. It seemed to have gone well, but that didn't really mean that it had. Both Carlos and Mal were good at hiding what was really going on.

Which might be what Evie was getting at. “You really think so?”

She gave an exasperated huff. “I don't know. I don't know if it's together or separate or I'm just crazy, but something doesn't feel right. They're both putting on pretty faces to cover something up.”

Apparently love made you batty. “I think you're paranoid. First Carlos and Mal need to be kept separate for their own good. Then they can be together, but only when they're watched. Then, once they finally start doing good together, and can be trusted by themselves, you want to change it back and make them be separate again. You need to relax.”

That sounded good, but he couldn't help but feel a twinge somewhere in his stomach. Like maybe Evie was right after all, and there was something funny going on. But that was silly right? Things were going fine, great even. Yeah, Evie was just being a weirdo.

6565656565

 

She wasn't' making herself understood. And if she couldn't make Jay, who had been there for her her entire life and understood her better than anyone else except for Ben, understand her, how was she going to make anyone else do it?

Because she knew that she was right. Mal was planning something, and she had pulled Carlos right into it. Whether he was a willing or unwilling participant remained to seen. But he was, and she knew that Mal had come up with the plan. Carlos was clever, but he wasn't much of a leader. In all honesty, he wasn't much of a follower, either. He was an observer, a shadow. 

He was also opportunistic. If he saw a chance to procure greater safety for himself, he would  
take it. Which was why she knew that he would pair with Mal. He didn't need to like her, or trust her, or even agree with her. He just had to see some personal advantage to working with her. 

That was why they had wanted to be alone together today. Not so they could work on homework together, but so they could do whatever else they were planning. She just didn't know how to get Jay to see it.

“I'm not paranoid. I worry about them. Both of them. They might not even really understand what they're caught up in.” She had to soften the blow, instead of accusing Carlos and Mal of taking deliberate actions.

One of the things that Evie really liked about Jay was that he actually took the time to listen to her. He might not agree with her, like now, but he was willing to take the time to hear her out. “What do you think they're up to?”

“I don't know.” This was where her idea fell apart. What could Carlos and Mal need, or even want, that wasn't being provided for them here in Auradon? “I don't know what they want that they aren't getting.”

“It's not about what they want. It's about they need.” Jay licked his lips, clearly catching on to her train of thought. “They need to be safe and they aren't.”

“They are safe.” Evie gave a frustrated groan, covering her face with her hands. “I just don't know how to make them believe it.”

She had tried, really she had. If Mal asked for something, she tried to make sure that the other girl got it, or at least made sure that Mal knew that she had tried. She didn't let Mal be teased or put into situations that made her uncomfortable. Mal would come to her if she felt nervous or scared of something. She had even gotten to the point where she would approach Evie without prompting and tell her what was wrong. It wasn't a lack of trust in Evie, but a something that was strong enough to override that trust.

There was another possibility, of course, one that Evie didn't like to think too much about. It could be that Mal wasn't acting out of fear at all. That she had arrived here in Auradon with a plan in place, and nothing they had done was enough to dissuade her from it. Maleficent was a strong, sly woman. Honestly, Evie would have been more surprised if she hadn't sent Mal with some sort of plan to cause trouble. But what did Mal get out of it? She was finally free the Isle and all the terror that came with it. Why would she want to go back?

Then it hit her. “She's going to try and break the barrier. That's why she needs Carlos, and why they're suddenly all buddy buddy. He's done it before, and she needs him to do it again.” She didn't know why she hadn't seen it before. 

Disappointment punched her in the gut. She had known, even from that first day, that something was wrong. Things had gone too smoothly to be true. Within a few weeks, Mal was in school, making good grades, and being the perfect little girl they had been hoping for. A shining example of what love could do, and how anything could be overcome. She had fooled every adult she came into contact with with her pretty smile and batting eyelashes.

Fooling the adults was one thing. Teenagers did that. Evie had done it, and so had everyone she went to school with. What hurt was that Mal had fooled Evie the same way. All of her observational powers, her intelligence, her ability to put her emotions aside and look at the plain facts had flown out the window the minute a pretty girl smiled at her. She had failed as a princess and a diplomat. 

How much of what had happened here in Auradon was a lie? How much of what had happened with Evie was a lie? Every smile, every giggle, every kiss, played over and over in Evie's mind. Did Mal have any actual feelings for her, or was it all a carefully planned manipulation? She was means to an end to Mal, wasn't she?

She didn't know why that surprised her. After all, it wasn't the first time she had been a pawn in a power play, was it? It was the very reason she was sitting right here, holding the title of Princess of Auradon. Her parents hadn't really wanted her. She had been chosen because they needed a stand in kid, so they could trick other people in Auradon into taking the rest of the Island kids.\instead of being afraid of them. She was a political tactic, not a carefully planned for daughter. They hadn't even bothered to pick her out of the masses themselves. They had left that task to the fairies who had brought them over.

They loved her now, she was sure of it. But that didn't change the fact that she stated out as a punishment instead of a joy. It was a bitter pill to swallow. 

Deep in her heart, she wondered if Mal couldn't feel the same way. That Evie had started out as something she needed to tolerate, but changed into something more. Was that possible? It had to be. Because that thought was the only thing keeping Evie's heart from crashing to the ground and breaking into a million little pieces.

“No way.” Jay shook his head. “I mean, maybe Mal would try it, but not Pup. Anyway, no one ever proved he broke it in the first place. He would tell me if he had.”

Well, Evie might be blind, but not as blind as Jay was. “They both would, and I think you know it deep down.” She picked at her fingernails.

What did she do now? If she confronted Mal, and she was wrong, she had destroyed the relationship. If she didn't confront Mal, and something happened, she was complicit in high treason. Proof. She needed proof. But how was sure supposed to get it? 

“Is this what you wanted to talk to me about? Because I think you're crazy.” Jay stood up angrily. “If you've got nothing else, I'm going back to my room. I actually enjoy my roommate and don't think he's planning to kill me in my sleep.”

She had him. Evie had known Jay for most of her life, and she knew how he reacted to things he didn't want to hear. He always got angry, and tried to deny it. He had to ease into the idea at first. But when he had a chance to think it over, he would see what she was talking about. He had to.

“Do what you need to.” She wasn't going to let him know how much it upset her not to be believed, even if she knew he would come around eventually. 

He softened and wrapped his arms around her. “It's fine, E. I know that you're worried about things, but you need to relax. It'll be alright, I promise.”

She wished she could believe that, but she just didn't any more. She put her head on his shoulder. “I hope it will.”

“Do you want me to-” The door opened, and Jay cut himself off. Mal was home. “Never mind. I'll see you later, if you're still alive.” He strolled out the open door. “Bye, Mal.”

“He's so fucking weird.” Mal sat down and kissed Evie on the cheek. Normally, Evie would have kissed her back, but she couldn't stand to do it right now. “What's wrong?”

“Why are you here, Mal?” Her voice didn't shake, which made her proud. She was going to be strong, no matter what.

Mal stared at her. “I live here. This is my room.”

“You know what I mean.” Both Mal and Carlos liked to play dumb on you. If you didn't know them, you might even believe that it was true. “Why are you here in Auradon?”

A tiny flash of green flickered through Mal's eyes, so quickly that Evie would have seen it if she hadn't been looking. It was Mal's tell, her way of revealing a lie. “Because I was invited, and it gets me off the shithole that's the Isle of the Lost.” She was wary now, knowing that Evie was on to her. 

“Do you like it here?” She was feeling more and more like a lawyer, having to ask the right question at exactly the right time. 

“Sure, I guess. I miss my freedom, and I miss my mother, but I like it here, too. I like having enough food, and not having to worry about perverts, and you, of course.”

Normally, that would have made Evie melt, but today she held firm. “What if you could have the best of both worlds? You could have your mother, and your freedom, but the good parts of Auradon, too.”

Mal sat down on her own bed and narrowed her eyes. “That would be ideal, but it's not possible. Unless you have some grandiose plans for fixing things that you haven't shared yet.” She laughed a little, and Evie felt a twinge in her chest. Maybe she was wrong after all?

She wasn't. She knew that something was wrong, but she had no proof of anything. If she made the accusation and was wrong, she was going to lose Mal forever. “No, I don't. Maybe you're a better planner than I am?”

“I might be.” Mal knew. She knew that Evie was suspicious of her, and she knew that Evie was aware of that suspicion. But neither one of them was willing to be the one who came right out and made the accusation. “But you have all that diplomat and princess training, so planning is sort of your thing. I'm more that 'carrying out the plan' type.”

“What's your plan here in Auradon?” Sure, like Mal was just going to tell her that.

Mal's smile turned into a smirk. She knew what Evie was getting at, and shame on her. Mal expected more from her princess. “My plan? I have two tests this week, so I plan on acing those. Then it's Homecoming, Coronation, end of the school year. One day, I would like to be Queen of Auradon.” her smile turned natural again, and she gave Evie a quick poke. “With you, of course. Not with Ben. I am so not interested in your brother.”

Evie had to smile a little back. While Ben thought Mal was gorgeous, he was also a little bit intimidated by her. Dating her would be out of the question. “Yeah, you dating both Ben and I would make make formal dinners awkward. But you're never going to be the Queen as long as you stick with me.” 

“Semantics.” Mal gave her hand a lazy flip. “Maybe Ben will change his mind about wanting to be King after all. He doesn't seem to really want it or be that well suited for it.”

Even though she agreed, Evie felt compelled to defend Ben. “He'll be a good king!”

“Of course he will. Ben will rise to the occasion and do what is expected of him. But we both know that he doesn't have the natural inclination for it. He's kind and sweet. Not that those are bad things, but he has to be able to make the hard decisions, too. Anyway, I think he would rather play Tourney have a normal family than run a kingdom.”

Again, Mal was right. The throne was being thrust upon Ben, rather than him desiring to take it. He was sixteen, barely old enough to shave. At sixteen, her father had been a beast, tearing up the walls of the castle and bossing around the servants. He hadn't taken the throne until he was 21, and that had been with her mother at his side, pushing and helping. And that had just been their small kingdom. The United States of Auradon hadn't even existed then. The country had been formed 10 years later. Her father had had years of maturity and plenty of practice with a smaller, more manageable kingdom before he was expected to try with something this large. “Of course he would. Wouldn't you?”

“Um, no. I would much rather be a queen than a high school student.” Mal stretched her hands above her head. “I would rather be a queen than just about anything.”

That was what Evie thought. That Mal wanted power far more than she wanted Evie. And if that didn't change, who knew what she was really capable of. She tried to keep her voice light, though. Mal might think that Evie was on to her, but Evie would be damned if she would give her the proof. “You might have to reconsider Ben, then. Because you're not going to make me Queen, no matter what you do.”

“But you want to be.” Mal's eyes probed hers, looking for even the smallest denial. Evie knew that she wouldn't find it. She did want to be the Queen of Auradon. She was capable of the job. She had gotten the same training that Ben had. She knew Auradon's history backwards and forwards. She could recite the family tree of every major and minor kingdom surrounding Auradon. She knew who was friendly, who was an uneasy ally, and who would have to be convinced to help. There were schedules and meetings and always keeping other places cultures in mind. 

And she would love it. Evie adored the fast pace of council meetings. You had to not only pay attention to what was being said, but to each person as they said it. Who was lying, who was way too focused on the person across from them, and who wasn't paying any attention at all. Every little thing meant something, and you had to be able to see it all.

Beyond that, though, she was her father's daughter. She had the strength to make the hard choices, and she understood that she wouldn't be able to please everyone. She had understood that even before the truth about what happened that night on the Isle came out. Ben was more like Belle. Soft, tender, able to see the good in everyone. It was a great quality in a human being. Not so much in a ruler.

“Kind of.” The words were whispered, something she hardly dared to say out loud. “I would be a good queen.”

“You would be a fantastic queen.”

See, this was what Evie was getting at. Mal had a way of making you not only making you do whatever she wanted, but having you thank her for the privilege of doing said bidding. She had moved beyond diplomat and into Rasputin territory. As much as Evie liked to think she was above that sort of manipulation, she fell for Mal every time. 

“I would. But it wouldn't happen, no matter what. Even if something were to happen to Ben, I'm not next in line for the throne. That would go to a more distant relative. I'm not eligible.”

“Because you're a girl, or because you're a villain?” Mal was suddenly very interested.

“Neither. I'm ineligible because I'm adopted. No royal blood, no throne. It has nothing to do with my parentage. If I had been adopted in the traditional way, It would be the same.”

Mal sat up. “Are you seriously telling me that those rules can't be changed? Your father is the leader of the free world. He should be able to do whatever the fuck he wants, and that includes picking which kid would make the better ruler. What's the point of being King if you can't make the best choices?”

Evie knew that Mal was smart, and the girl picked up on things that most people didn't notice, but she still had a lot to learn about politics. “Yes, seriously. Dad might be the King, but that doesn't mean he can just do whatever he wants. He still has a parliament and a council and a bunch of other people he has to run things by before they can be approved. It's not like the old days where the King could just stomp around cutting of heads and declaring war on whomever pissed him off that day.” She chose to ignore Mal's low mutter of 'too bad' and continued on. “Anyway, me being the heir over Ben would never fly. You're right, it's partially because of gender. There are many other countries where women are not respected, and having a female ruler would be seen as a weakness. There are even people here in Auradon who would feel that way. And there is the issue of bloodlines. It's archaic and unfair, but it is what it is.”

Even though Mal looked bored, Evie knew that the politics lesson was sinking in. “What about us? Would you and I being together be an issue?”

To be honest, Evie hadn't thought too much about it. There had been rumors about Queen Elsa  
of Arendelle and her sexual preferences for years, but that was a bit of a different matter. Queen Elsa was a shadow in the council, often sending a trusted adviser in her stead. She would vote on important matters, and did just enough to keep trade routes open and relations between Arendelle and Auradon friendly, but it was understood that she preferred to be left alone. She asked very little and gave little in return. 

But Queen Elsa was an adult, not a teenage girl who had no right to the throne in the first place. She had ascended as a single woman, and so she remained. Any rumors that floated around about here were just those, rumors. They were easily dismissed as the sour grapes of men who had been rejected by the notoriously picky ruler. “I don't know. Maybe. It's not that big of a deal at school, but older people have a hard time adapting to change. There are definitely some that wouldn't accept it.”

Mal fell quiet then, thinking over what Evie had just said. It was a delicate time, but Evie felt like she had to continue. “I'm not a villain, you know. Just because my mother was, and probably my father, too, it doesn't mean I have to be. My Dad did some pretty terrible things, with stealing the babies but I can do better then he did. I can make my own choices, and I”m choosing to be good.” 

The next part was a little more tricky, and might end up making Mal mad, but she had to day it. “You don't have to be a villain either. You have as many choices as I do.”

Again, there was that small flicker in Mal's eyes, the one that told Evie she had scored a direct hit. But it was gone too quickly for her to tell what Mal was actually thinking. Was she still smug, the way she had been before? Or was she really thinking about what Evie was saying? Maybe it was just too late, no matter what Evie tried. 16 years was a long time. Time would tell if it was too long for Auradon to make a difference.

“Of course I don't have to be a villain. I'm not one now, am I?” Again, Evie heard the unspoken 'yet', but chose not to call attention to it right now. “I'm here for a second chance.”

“Yes, you are.” She put the tiniest emphasis on the word 'you'. This was Mal's chance, not her mothers, and not the chance of anyone else on the Isle. None of them could touch Mal here. Well, not as long as they stayed on their side of the barrier. If Mal carried though with what Evie strongly suspected her plan was, Maleficent would be able to do whatever she wanted to her daughter. 

Bringing that up would be a mistake, though. Both Mal and Carlos were aware that their positions here in Auradon were precarious, relying on both the goodwill of the Auradon people and their own parents deciding not to rock the boat and demand their children back. Neither one brought it up directly, but she knew it was a worry for them both.

Abruptly Mal stood back up. “Well, it's been a lovely talk, but I have to go by Fairy Godmother's to pick up my magical homework. I'll be back in a little bit.” Then she was gone in a flurry of purple and green.

Liar. It was almost curfew, and if there had been homework, Fairy Godmother would have given it to Mal at the end of class instead of having her come back for it. But Evie let her go. Mal always retreated when she needed to think things over. Maybe Evie had gotten through to her. At the very least, she had given the other girl something new to consider. “Be careful you don't get caught out after curfew.”

Mal smiled gently. “Princess, I never get caught.” 

Yeah, that was kind of what Evie was afraid of.


End file.
